There are already a handful of foldable smartphones on the market from various brands. However, none of these models have an IP rating for water and dust resistance. That will change this year with the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 3.

The two new Samsung foldable phones will have an IPX8 rating which means that they can survive a continuous immersion in water. However, the X means that it hasn’t been tested for protection against solid objects (dust). The info about their ingress protection was revealed by Max Weinbach (MaxWinebach) on Twitter.

Flip3 and Fold3 are IPX8 https://t.co/Lenz8aOuCV

— Max Weinbach (@MaxWinebach) July 21, 2021

This is a significant feature for foldable devices and fans of Samsung’s foldable line will be happy about it.

The Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 3 will be announced at the next Galaxy Unpacked event scheduled for August 11. The former will have a 6.5-inch cover display, a 7.5-inch internal display, Snapdragon 888 processor, an in-display camera on the inside, and triple rear cameras on the back. It will also have a 4500mAh battery and support for wired, wireless, and reverse wireless charging. It has also been confirmed that it will support stylus input.

Leaks have reported that the Galaxy Z Flip 3 will have a 6.7-inch main screen, a 1.9-inch cover display, a Snapdragon 888 processor, two rear cameras, an in-display fingerprint scanner, and a centered punch hole for the front-facing camera.

RELATED:

• Pete Lau: Why OnePlus doesn’t market the OnePlus 9 Pro’s IP rating
• Nokia XR20 image spotted, reveals ruggedized and waterproof design
• Samsung patent reveals next-gen Gesture Controls for Foldable Smartphones

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The OnePlus 8 Pro and the OnePlus 9 Pro are two of OnePlus flagships with an official IP rating. However, OnePlus doesn’t market this feature, at least it didn’t do so for the OnePlus 9 Pro. If you are wondering why then you will be interested in the CEO’s explanation.

Pete Lau (Liu Zuohu) took to Weibo to reaffirm that the OnePlus 9 Pro has an IP68 waterproof and dustproof rating which he says is evidence of the phone’s durability and higher quality. However, they do not market the feature just like a lot of other brands because the testing to receive the rating is done under specific laboratory conditions.

Since usage and operating conditions will vary from person to person, it is impossible to meet the laboratory conditions that earned the device its IP rating. This is why even if the device meets the IP rating requirement, it is not recommended to market the feature.

Save for rugged phones, most manufacturers don’t advertise the IP rating of their phones. Not only don’t they advertise it but damages caused by liquids are not covered under warranty. OnePlus even says on the OnePlus 9 Pro’s product page that water and dust resistance may reduce as the device ages.

The OnePlus 8 Pro, OnePlus 9 Pro, and OnePlus 9 (T-Mobile version) are the OnePlus phones with an official IP68 rating. These phones will survive an accidental drop in water or a spill but we will advise users to not intentionally immerse their phones in water just for the fun of it.

RELATED:

• OnePlus 9 Pro removed from GeekBench’s database over claims of performance throttling
• OnePlus may soon enter the tablet category
• Energizer Hard Case G5 is the brand’s first rugged 5G phone
• The Motorola Defy is a rugged mid-range phone with Gorilla Glass Victus

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It is not easy to make a phone with moving parts water-resistant. This is one of the reasons why the ASUS Zenfone 6 and Zenfone 7 series which have motorized cameras are not water-resistant. Now that ASUS is dropping that design, it has confirmed that the Zenfone 8 will have an IP68 rating.

In its latest teaser for the upcoming compact flagship phone, ASUS revealed that the Zenfone 8 will have an IP68 rating which means that alongside being able to withstand dust, dirt, and sand, it can also survive immersion in water up to a depth of 1.5 meters for up to 30 minutes.

Wouldn’t it be nice if you and I were Protected, 6oth of us? https://t.co/ig6HaxNLtQ #Zenfone8 #BigonPerformanceCompactinSize

— ASUS (@ASUS) May 2, 2021

The Zenfone 8 will be the first ASUS flagship phone with an IP68 rating in years. Even before the Zenfone 6 and Zenfone 7, water-resistance is not a feature found in ASUS phones, so this is a big addition for the brand.

So far, ASUS has confirmed that the Zenfone 8 will also have an audio jack and its teasers have shown the phone has a hole punch at the top left corner of the screen for the front-facing camera. It will also have a display with a high refresh rate and a  Snapdragon 888 processor.

RELATED:

• Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra affirms its IP68 rating as it is unboxed underwater
• ASUS Adolpad 10 Pro powered by MediaTek 8183 processor launched in China
• ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 Gaming notebook launching on May 11

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This is our third article on Samsung Galaxy A52 today(Feb. 11). Ahead of a March 2021 launch i.e., next month, leaks are pouring in for Samsung’s A5x series’s 2021 device. The latest info comes from Tipster Abhishek Yadav who says that the 5G variant will feature an IP rating like the flagships.

Just a few hours ago, Sammobile had exclusively reported that Samsung Galaxy A52 5G‘s display will support a refresh rate of up to 120Hz. Now, Abhishek says that the device will come with an IP67 rating for Water and Dust resistance.

For the unware, IP is an Ingress Protection rating as per IEC(International Electrotechnical Commission)’s EN 60529 standard. It is the degree of protection given to a mechanical/electrical enclosure and based on the type & intensity of intrusion, the rating varies.

Samsung isn’t new to the IP-rating either. Its Galaxy-S series flagships including the recently launched Galaxy S21 have had it. In fact, the older Galaxy-A devices like the Galaxy A8(2018) have had IP68-rating to protect the device against dust/water splashes.

Samsung Galaxy A52 5G is IP67 certified explained.https://t.co/VaS90EMaI0

— Abhishek Yadav (@yabhishekhd) February 11, 2021

Anyway, we just hope that Samsung brings this IP-rating to the 4G variant too. Speaking of which, the Galaxy A52 is expected to come in 4G and 5G variants. They are likely to share similar specs except for the chipset inside.

The 5G variant will feature a 6.5-inch S-AMOLED FHD+ Infinity-O display, Snapdragon 750G chipset, 6/8GB RAM, 128/256GB storage, 4,500mAh battery with 25W fast charging.

For cameras, it will have a Quad rear camera mostly with 64MP main, 12MP ultra-wide, two 5MP Macro&Depth sensors, and a 32MP selfie shooter upfront. The device is also expected to run Android 11 with One UI 3.1 on top.

RELATED:

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• Galaxy Tab S8 Enterprise Edition spotted on Samsung Ireland’s website
• Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G gets One UI 3.1 update

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Days before the OnePlus 8 series launch, a leak surfaced on OnePlus 8 Pro’s water resistance. At the launch, OnePlus made it true by launching the first-device with IP68 Water and Dust resistance. Although the OnePlus 8 Pro has it, the non-Pro doesn’t come with an official IP rating. Now, tipster Max Jambor says that the OnePlus 9 series will continue the same trend.

According to Max, the OnePlus 9 Pro will have the same IP68 Water and Dust resistance as the predecessor. This shouldn’t come as a surprise considering its a feature that companies don’t generally downgrade with iterations. Anyway, Max also says that the OnePlus 9 and 9E will mostly not have an official IP rating.

In case you aren’t aware, IP-rating is an  Ingress Protection Code according to IEC(International Electrotechnical Commission)’s EN 60529 standard. It basically awards the degree of protection given to a mechanical/electrical enclosure. Based on the type and intensity of intrusion, the rating varies.

For instance, IP68 means devices can withstand dust, dirt, and sand. They are also resistant to submersion up to a maximum depth of 1.5m underwater for up to thirty minutes. Anyway, if the leak turns out to be true, the OnePlus 9 series will once again have only a device with an IP rating.

Besides, as mentioned above, OnePlus phones have had water resistance in the past. But the company didn’t really get an official IP rating. In fact, it stated the additional cost burden as the reason for the OnePlus 7 Pro. Not to mention the carriers like Verizon getting the official rating for the non-Pro(eg. OnePlus 8 Verizon-exclusive) shows that even the watered-down models have the necessary build.

Anyway, we hope that the OnePlus 9, 9E models don’t compromise on the build quality too much to match the price-performance ratio. Talking about models, reports say that the OnePlus 9 series will have three models this time. While OnePlus has already confirmed its flagship series with Snapdragon 888 for H1 2021, leaks say that launch is around mi-March.

Regarding the specs, the OnePlus 9 will probably have a flatter display(like the 8T) and the 9 pro a curved display. Rumors say that the former will be a 6.65-inch while the latter will be a 6.72-inch AMOLED 120Hz displays. Other expected features are 65W Warp Charging, OxygenOS 11, dual-48MP cameras(OnePlus 9), and more.

UP NEXT: OnePlus Buds and Realme Buds Q on sale for $76.99 and $21.99, respectively

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I really like the Mate series and I look forward to the launch of new models every year. Huawei never misses the chance to announce new and impressive features and this year’s Mate 40 series is no different. However, the standard Mate 40 disappoints in two areas – lack of wireless charging support and a low IP rating.

Wireless Charging

The Mate 40 doesn’t have support for wireless charging which is very surprising since its predecessor, the Mate 30 (and Mate 30 5G), has support for not just wireless charging but 27W fast wireless charging, putting to shame the wireless charging on iPhones and Samsung flagships. The phone even has support for reverse wireless charging. So why did Huawei launch the Mate 40 without support for wireless charging? We have no idea why but it will be hard to justify. What is worse is that Huawei didn’t stop there.

When Huawei announced the P30 series, the standard P30 model didn’t have support for wireless charging but Huawei announced a case that you could slap on the phone that allows you to wirelessly charge it at 10W. The standard Huawei P40 also has a case that allows you to charge the phone wirelessly at 22.5W.

Is there a wireless charging case for the Mate 40? No there isn’t. We also checked Huawei’s China site which has a different set of cases from those announced globally but there isn’t one there too.

Wireless charging should not be a distinguishing feature between standard and pro models

It is disappointing that the Mate 40 costs €899, which is far from a flagship killer price, and doesn’t have wireless charging. If anyone is paying this much for a phone, this is a feature that should be standard on such a device. This is 2020 and distinguishing pro and standard models of a flagship series with a feature such as wireless charging should stop.

All of Samsung’s Galaxy S20 phones have wireless charging including the Galaxy S20 FE. Even the Galaxy S10e launched last year has wireless charging. Apple also doesn’t use wireless charging as a distinguishing factor between pro and standard models. The iPhone XR supports wireless charging and so do the iPhone 11 and the iPhone 12 Mini.

IP Rating

Wireless charging is not the only feature Huawei uses to distinguish between standard and pro models of its phones. The IP rating is another feature. While Pro models have an IP67/IP68 rating, standard models have an IP53 rating. This is the case with the Mate 40.

Unlike Huawei, Samsung and Apple launch their phones with the same or very close IP ratings. All models of the Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S20 have the same IP rating. The same applies to all the models of the iPhone 11 and iPhone 12 series.

The current situation can still be partly saved

Huawei can still announce a wireless charging case for the Mate 40. Though we won’t deny that paying extra for a feature an €899 phone should have isn’t annoying. Nevertheless, it is high time it makes wireless charging support and IP rating uniform among models.

UP NEXT: Huawei sees sharp decline in growth due to US Sanctions

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Fans have clamored for a device with an IP-rating but OnePlus has always refused to release a device with one. In a new teaser video, OnePlus has revealed that the upcoming OnePlus 7 Pro won’t have an IP rating too………but it will be water resistant.

The 30-second teaser video OnePlus says “Water resistant ratings for phones cost you money”. This is true because the cost of getting an IP-rating is transferred to the cost of the phone which will make it more expensive. So rather than get an IP-rating, OnePlus says it bought something less expensive – a bucket.

In the video, the OnePlus 7 Pro is shown dropped into the bucket which is filled with water to prove it is water resistant. There is a part in the video that says warranty doesn’t cover water damage. This is actually not unusual as manufacturers who offer phones with an actual IP-rating won’t fix your device damaged by liquids even if it is still under warranty.

The teaser video is followed up with an official post on the OnePlus Forum by Carl Pei explaining the video and addressing the bunch of questions that it has brought up. OnePlus says their aim is to do the right things based on what its users need and not the industry. While they agree that an actual IP-rating is the easiest way to prove to users about the phone’s capability, they do not believe that the certification “helps [us] communicate our focus on your real experience”, so they made a video instead.

this is not a bucket challenge

In the article, OnePlus says “this is not a bucket challenge” and do not want people dropping their OP7 Pro phones into a bucket of water. If you do so and it gets damaged, it won’t be repaired for free even if the device is still under warranty. Carl Pei ends the post by saying it doesn’t mean they won’t consider IP-ratings for future devices.

READ MORE: As the OnePlus 7 launch nears, the OnePlus 6T is going out of stock

What do you think about OnePlus not putting an official IP-rating on the OnePlus 7 Pro? Do you care less or does it matter to you even when you know water damages aren’t covered by warranties?

(Sources: 1, 2)

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Of all the phones that launched last week, the OnePlus 6T can be said to be the most popular of them all. The phone is an upgraded version of the OnePlus 6 which was released this year and it brings lots of new features but it also lacks some, the biggest of them being an audio jack.

Apart from the lack of an audio jack, the OnePlus 6T is also missing features such as wireless charging, an IP rating, a notification LED, and an Always-on-Display. OnePlus held an AMA session where it gave reasons for the lack of some of these features.

OnePlus said the removal of the notification LED was because owners could simply lift up their device or tap the display to see if they have notifications even without unlocking the device thanks to the ambient feature called lift up display.

They also said the removal of always-on-display is due to the feature causing a battery drain. The feature was originally present on the OnePlus 6 but was later removed via a software update. OnePlus says it is still considering the “functional value vs power consumption” of this feature before implementing it in future (likely via an update).

When asked about the lack of an IP-rating, Carl Pei said the OnePlus 6T is designed for everyday use and not for “edge cases”. So it will actually survive accidental spills and drops into a puddle since these are issues that might occur every day. However, it won’t survive if you take it diving since it is not an “everyday scenario”.

READ MORE: OnePlus 6 gets OxygenOS 9.0.2 update with new gestures and other improvements

Other questions OnePlus answered include lack of support for the beta program by the T-Mobile edition and also a slight delay when it comes to receiving updates since the carrier version requires an additional level of certification by the operator. It was also revealed that an official glass screen protector will be released for the phone.

(Source, Via)

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