A wet iPhone doesn’t mean a dead iPhone anymore. All the iPhones dating to the iPhone 7 have been water resistant, meaning if you…
A wet iPhone doesn’t mean a dead iPhone anymore.
All the iPhones dating to the iPhone 7 have been water resistant, meaning if you accidentally drop the device into a pool or puddle, your handset will almost certainly survive.
With the iPhone XS and XS Max that hit stores on Friday, Apple promises something more – models that can resist accidental spills of other liquids, from fizzy soda to bubbly alcoholic beverages.
The latest models officially adhere to a standard known as IP68, meaning they can be submerged in fresh water up to 2 meters for up to a half hour. Other notable handsets, including several Samsung Galaxy phones, meet the same standard, and through the years, we’ve doused iPhones, Galaxy phones and other devices into fish bowls, even toilets, and yes, they kept performing, well, swimmingly.
More: iPhone XS and XS Max review: Apple’s beautiful big-screen beasts exact a small ransom
But how would new iPhones do in our latest torture test? We tried, um, quenching their thirst in other fluids: hot coffee, Samuel Adams Summer Ale, Cupcake Vineyards Prosecco, and finally Coca-Cola. The answer is the phones did just fine, though we still have to offer a few cautionary notes:
First, if you read the fine print, “liquid damage” is not covered under Apple’s warranty, so repeat this test at your own peril, especially since you spent a grand or more to get the phone.
Second, if your phone does get wet, wipe it dry immediately. And don’t try to charge it before it is dry.
And finally, though Apple is also claiming that the XS and XS Max have the most durable glass ever placed on an iPhone, I wouldn’t recommend intentionally dropping it onto hard pavement. Accidents do happen, and, strong as it is, a cracked display or other unfortunate rupture is not out of the question.
Email: ebaig@usatoday.com; Follow USA TODAY Personal Tech Columnist @edbaig on Twitter
