Why phones now come with multiple IP ratings?

Let’s start with the basics.
“IP” stands for Ingress Protection, an international standard that measures how well a device resists dust and water. The rating always comes in the format IPXY, where:

• X is for dust protection (from 0 to 6)
• Y is for water protection (from 0 to 9)

So, for example:

• IP66 means dust-tight and protected against high-pressure water jets.
• IP68 means dust-tight and protected against long immersion under water.
• IP69 means dust-tight and protected against high-temperature, high-pressure water jets.

Each number represents a different kind of test, done in a different way.

That’s where things get interesting. The tests for IP66, IP68, and IP69 don’t overlap, they test different stress conditions. That’s why some modern phones list all three.

Let’s say your phone has IP68 certification. That means it has survived being dunked in fresh water (not salt water), usually at 1.5 meters for 30 minutes. But IP68 doesn’t test for water jets, meaning it’s not guaranteed to withstand a shower of high-pressure water from all angles.

That’s where IP66 and IP69 come in.

• IP66 tests the device’s ability to withstand powerful water jets (around 100 liters per minute).
• IP69 takes it a step further, using hot water at 80°C and even higher pressure (80–100 bar).

So a phone might pass IP68 (immersion) but fail IP69 (pressure). Conversely, something could survive high-pressure jets but leak slowly when submerged. They’re different failure modes, and manufacturers want to prove protection on all fronts.

In short:

IP68 ≠ IP69. They test different things.

A few years ago, most phones including flagships stuck to IP67 or IP68. That was enough for normal life like rain and spills. But in 2024 and 2025, we’ve seen more brands bragging about IP69 or having two or three ratings. So what changed?

Partly, it’s a mix of engineering maturity and marketing psychology.

Smartphone construction has improved a lot in recent years. Adhesives, gasket designs, and nano-coatings now make it easier to pass these extreme tests. On the marketing side, brands know that “IP69” sounds cool but not everyone knows what it means. So listing multiple ratings together creates the impression of total coverage.

Here’s a clearer breakdown of how these tests differ:

You can see why no single test can cover all scenarios. A phone could technically survive immersion but fail when hit by boiling water from a pressure gun. Real-world accidents don’t come with uniform conditions, so having multiple IP certifications is a more complete safety net.

For most people, no. Unless you’re planning to pressure wash your phone (please don’t), IP68 alone is more than enough. You can take photos in the rain, spill coffee, or drop it in a bathtub, and it’ll likely survive.

The higher IP69 rating is more relevant for industrial devices, rugged phones, and military-grade equipment, where they might face high-pressure cleaning or extreme dust conditions. But since smartphone makers love one-upmanship, we’re now seeing mainstream phones borrow those ratings too.

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