OnePlus teases OnePlus 7 water resistance but won’t guarantee it

OnePlus made an interesting tweet about the OnePlus 7. The company says that IP-ratings for water and dust resistance cost money, so the upcoming phone, like all of the previous models, won’t have official water resistance ratings. This is exactly what the company said about the OnePlus 6T last year, with CEO Pete Lau stating that IP-rating might increase the cost of every phone by $30.

That is an acceptable statement, and an acceptable stance for a company to decide not to offer these ratings. What’s interesting though, and hard to grasp, is why would a company then promote submerging a phone that’s not IP-rated? Sure, the message could be that “we don’t have official IP rating but our phone is built in a way that will ensure its survival if submerged”.

Sadly, that is not the case. While claimed “water resistant under optimal test conditions”, a big disclaimer clears OnePlus of any responsibility if water damage occurs to your phone. “OnePlus makes no guarantees regarding water/liquid resistance. Water/liquid damage not covered under product warranty”. Then why on Earth, dear OnePlus, are you promoting this?

Waterproof ratings for phones cost you money. We just bought a bucket. #OnePlus7Series https://t.co/Q0eAKsfMEw pic.twitter.com/4f0RmNpI2t

— OnePlus (@oneplus) May 3, 2019