What Happens if You Wet a Water-Proof Phone

A few years ago, the question “which of these smartphones can be immersed in water?” ceased to cause surprise and bewilderment. Now almost all manufacturers have started offering smartphones with water resistance. Advertising shows that you can take them with you to the pool and submerge them under the water in order to make a couple of beautiful shots. I’m not even talking about the fact that getting into the rain with such a smartphone or dropping it into a puddle should stop being a nightmare at all. Now such devices are not only widespread but also not so expensive. In addition to flagships, you can find smartphones with water protection even cheaper than 20,000 rubles. We will not name specific brands, but rather discuss why this should not be done. Or, on the contrary, is it worth it? Let’s find out what happens if a smartphone, protected from water, accidentally or deliberately happens to be in the water.

I want a waterproof smartphone

I think it would not be an exaggeration to say that someone who does not have a smartphone protected from water wants to buy it and thinks that he will be shooting something underwater, washing the gadget under the tap and not worrying about getting caught in the rain. On the other hand, when, after the purchase, it comes to real tests, the internal stopper will not let you so easily lower an expensive gadget into the water. This reaction is the most correct and a little below I will tell you why it is worth listening to it. First, let’s see how smartphones protect against water.

How water-resistant phones are made

Several types of construction are now used to produce a water-resistant smartphone. The most classic option is gluing the case between the screen and the side edges. If the back wall is removed separately, it must also be glued around the entire perimeter. This provides protection against water ingress into the slots of the housing. The next step is to isolate the keys, speakers/microphones and connectors.

With the keys, everything is simple and you can use a membrane. The speakers use either a special design or a very fine mesh. Most often, both. To make it easier to protect the connectors, manufacturers sometimes refuse the headphone jack, and the charging jack is tightly filled with glue and other insulators so that water does not get inside through its micro hole.

Can I use my smartphone underwater?

I strongly discourage doing this. In order for you to no longer have such a desire, go to the manufacturer’s website, look at the description of the model and do not be lazy to find a footnote regarding the class of protection against water. Even if the model has an IP68 class (the ability to immerse in freshwater for up to half an hour and to a depth of up to one and a half meters), do not be too lazy to look for what the footnote next to these numbers means.

There is no doubt that you will find many letters, the essence of which boils down to the fact that the manufacturer is not responsible to the buyer in the event of damage to the smartphone by water that has got inside the case. As they say, the curtain!

In fact, you really might think that the manufacturer is simply deceiving us, and the smartphone is not protected from water, but this is not so. The assignment of an IP rating does indicate that the device (and more than one) was tested in the laboratory and passed the test. But we are talking about new devices.

During operation, we drop gadgets and overheat them. This can lead to both deformations of the housing and damage to the protective membrane. That is, water can get inside, and the manufacturer has nothing to do with it. Also, from time to time, sizing can degrade and also cease to perform its functions.

If you put such a smartphone in water, at best, a little water will get into the case. It will not disrupt the operation of the smartphone at first, but when the liquid dries up, salts will remain on the boards, which can strongly oxidize delicate electronic components.

As a result, the manufacturer’s refusal of responsibility seems to be very logical. Therefore, if the smartphone is still underwater, rather pull it out and dry it. If it was not ordinary freshwater, but, for example, salty or sweet, you need to rinse your smartphone under running water. After that, dry it and in no case put it on charge immediately. Residual water in the connector can cause short circuits.

What to do if your phone gets wet

If the smartphone is protected from water, then you shouldn’t worry too much, and the steps for solving the problem are written in the previous paragraph. If the smartphone is not protected, then it is necessary to urgently remove everything that is possible from it. If the battery is disconnected, remove it too. If not removed, then just turn off the device.

Also, if there is no protection against water, it is better to go to the service. As a rule, it will be much cheaper to immediately rinse and dry it than to change the oxidized components later. Even if everything works fine at once, do not rush to rejoice. Over time, you may face the fact that the smartphone will start to slow down, work incorrectly, or even turn off forever.

To summarize, I will say that even if your smartphone has the declared protection against water, do not rush to test it for strength. Keep this function in reserve. If the gadget gets wet, there will be fewer reasons to worry, and you shouldn’t tempt fate. Do not assume that you will not be denied a warranty repair. They will refuse, and there were such examples among my friends. Visit Tech Viral for more useful and interesting articles about technology, gadgets and smartphones.