The OnePlus 9 series feature maxed-out numbers on the specs sheet. From the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 SoC to an adaptive 120Hz display that can go down to 1Hz – all are there. The company even upped its camera game with the Hasselblad partnership this year. Among the top-notch features offered on the OnePlus 9 series, water-resistance is one of them. While the OnePlus 9 Pro is waterproof, things get a bit tricky for the vanilla OnePlus 9 – for which we don’t have a single sentence answer. Here’s why
The OnePlus 9 is waterproof but…
It gets a bit tricky when we talk about IP-rating on the OnePlus 9. The OnePlus 9 sold through T-Mobile is waterproof as it carries an IP68 rating. However, if you purchase the device through Amazon, Best Buy, B&H, or the OnePlus website, you won’t get the IP68 rating.
However, it is likely that all the OnePlus 9 units are built the same way. It’s just that the unlocked version of the OnePlus 9 doesn’t carry an IP-rating. Even OnePlus says that all variants of the OnePlus 9 go through the same durability testing. Moreover, there are airtight gaskets in the SIM tray of the unlocked OnePlus 9, which indicates that the device can withstand at least some level of liquid, but isn’t officially rated to do so.
It means that every OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 9 Pro that ships worldwide is dust and water-resistant, even though the unlocked OnePlus 9 doesn’t have the actual IP68 rating. This could be because it costs money for smartphone manufacturers to ship a phone with an official IP rating. And, OnePlus could be cutting costs for the certification to keep the end-price as low as possible.
On the other hand, the OnePlus 9 Pro – doesn’t matter where you buy it from or what variant you get – is rated IP68. But what exactly does it mean for a device to be rated in terms of “IP”? Let’s find out.
What is IP68 rating?
Ingress Protection (IP) rating is the closest thing currently available to measure waterproofing on a device. In “IP68”, the ‘6’ is the particulate rating while ‘8’ is the liquid rating. Particulate refers to solid particles like sand that can’t enter the phone even in a vacuum. IP basically means how good a device is rated to stop stuff from getting inside.
Those devices that are backed by an international standard rating of IP68 are deemed fit enough to withstand dust, dirt, and sand. Additionally, they can be submerged in water to a maximum depth of six meters for up to 30 minutes.
IP68 rated or not, it is always a good choice to keep your device protected. Hence, we’ve compiled a list of the best OnePlus 9 cases that you can buy right now. Moreover, if you are planning to buy the OnePlus 9 or 9 Pro, here are the best deals for you!