Is Waterproofing on Smartphones Just a Marketing Gimmick?

Is Waterproofing on Smartphones Just a Marketing Gimmick?Recently, Apple was hit with another class-action lawsuit. The plaintiff, Joey Zukran, a lawyer from Quebec, Canada, accused Apple of falsely advertising the waterproof features of iPhones while declining to cover water damage under their warranty

Is Waterproofing on Smartphones Just a Marketing Gimmick?

Recently, Apple was hit with another class-action lawsuit. The plaintiff, Joey Zukran, a lawyer from Quebec, Canada, accused Apple of falsely advertising the waterproof features of iPhones while declining to cover water damage under their warranty. The incident stemmed from a 19-year-old student who accidentally dropped her iPhone in a pool while traveling in Mexico. Despite Apple's claims of iPhones being able to withstand immersion in a certain depth of fresh water, her phone stopped working after contact with water. When she brought the phone to Apple's after-sales service center, she was informed that it was not covered by the warranty.

This is not an isolated incident. A while back, during a team-building trip to Qingyuan, China, a member of Lei Technology's team accidentally dropped his iPhone 15 Pro in the water while rafting. He was using a low-quality waterproof phone bag, and it was only after finishing the rafting that he discovered a large hole in the bag. At that point, he didn't know how long the phone had been submerged. He immediately turned off the phone and used the "ancestral secret recipe" a rice container to absorb water from the phone overnight. However, it was too late. The iPhone couldn't take pictures, couldn't charge, and when he took it to the Apple Store in Guangzhou, he was told the same thing: water damage is not covered by the warranty. The repair quote was over 5,000 yuan.

In the digital world, there's a saying, "Rough words, but true meaning" "Water-resistant doesn't mean 'hand-resistant'." This phrase emerged during the early days of mobile phones when waterproofing technology was still primitive. Most phones back then simply used waterproof plugs to seal off the various openings and waterproof adhesive strips to seal the back cover. Since no one really expected much in terms of waterproof performance, and people didn't have their phones glued to their hands back then, virtually nobody dared to challenge the phone's waterproof capabilities.

However, in 2024, the situation is entirely different. Phones have become an indispensable part of our lives, and people are constantly attached to them. When iPhones can't actually guarantee waterproof protection, how can we safeguard our phones? What are the scientific ways to minimize damage after a phone gets wet?

Never try to power on the phone immediately. Don't gamble with your phone's life.

After a phone gets wet, the internal circuit board may have become damp. Attempting to power it on immediately is the worst thing you can do after a phone gets wet. Switching it on could cause a circuit short, further damaging the phone. The correct approach is to turn off the phone immediately to prevent water from creating a short circuit on the circuit board. The next step is to quickly wipe off any visible water from the surface of the phone.

Carefully dry any visible moisture on the phone and then let it air dry.

After removing surface moisture, remove any removable components, such as the SIM card slot, and use paper towels or cotton swabs to absorb any visible internal moisture. Then, place the phone in a dry, well-ventilated area to air dry further. If you have the resources, consider using an electronic dehumidifier, or wrap the phone with a desiccant in a sealed bag to help it dry naturally.

Can using a hairdryer to blow dry the phone fix the problem quickly?

No. Although counterintuitive, it's best not to use a hairdryer to blow dry a wet phone directly. While hot air might speed up water evaporation, it can also push water deeper into the phone, especially in areas like the speaker and charging port. High temperatures can also damage internal components. Therefore, the better option is to let the phone air dry naturally or use a desiccant to absorb moisture.

If the phone automatically shuts down after falling into water, can the data inside be recovered?

This question requires a case-by-case analysis. The phone automatically shutting down could be because water entered the circuit board, leading to a short circuit or other problems. Of course, it's also possible that only the screen is damaged, and it "appears" to be shut down. Some people try to transfer internal data as soon as possible after water damage, believing that they are "racing against time." However, in reality, the damage to the phones data probably occurs at the moment of water contact.

In terms of damage, liquid damage to a phone can be divided into two stages:

• Stage 1: Direct short circuit caused by water ingress while powered on.

• Stage 2: Corrosion and oxidation caused by a high-humidity environment inside the phone.

These two stages correspond to the phone's short-term and long-term damage, respectively. Short circuit damage usually lasts from water ingress to shut down, while long-term damage generally appears within a week. In other words, if the phone's flash memory is not immediately damaged after water ingress, there is a high probability that the internal data can be accessed after drying. However, if the phone is damaged from the outset, even if you transfer the data immediately, the corresponding hardware may already be damaged.

Instead of powering up the phone while it's still damp, it's better to wait until it's completely dry before safely processing the data. Keep in mind that for most phones that don't require writing firmware to the screen, even if the screen or data port is "burned", you can still read the internal data by replacing the components. Android phones without hardware encryption can also access data through "board transfer." There's really no need to rush those few hours.

Can charging the phone to "heat it up" help with drying it out?

Absolutely not. After a phone gets wet, if the inside isn't completely dry, plugging in the charger to charge it can very likely cause a short circuit, further damaging the phone, and even potentially leading to safety issues. It's crucial to ensure the phone is completely dry before attempting to charge it.

Are IP67 phones really afraid of water?

Unfortunately, it's not that simple. IP67 and IP68 represent the phone's ability to withstand water under specific conditions, such as short-term immersion in shallow water. However, today's smartphones generally rely on waterproof glue and coatings to resist liquid intrusion. But prolonged immersion in water or high-pressure environments can exceed the phone's waterproof capabilities. Additionally, high temperatures (prolonged gaming), chemical erosion (swimming pools, hot springs, seawater), or the wear and tear of prolonged use can also "degrade" the phone's waterproof glue and coatings, affecting its final waterproof performance.

Is waterproofing just a marketing gimmick?

Because of the numerous limitations behind "waterproof phones," most smartphones with IP68 certification have their own "disclaimers," essentially stating: "The phone is watertight out of the box, but if water actually gets in, we won't cover it under the warranty." But the question is, can such a phone still be called "waterproof"?

In recent years, many brands have become aware of the problem of "waterproof phones not being waterproof." Unfortunately, these brands haven't addressed the root cause of the issue. Take, for example, a flagship phone released by a Chinese brand earlier this year. The brand removed all mentions of "waterproof" and adopted a more ambiguous "dustproof and water-resistant" and "splash-proof, water-resistant, dustproof." The product description also mentions that splash-resistance, water-resistance, and dustproof features do not last forever and that dustproof performance may decline due to wear and tear.

Brands that choose to use "water-resistant" and include small annotations like this are actually quite common. A certain high-priced international smartphone brand also uses the same description. In my memory, the only brand that explicitly uses "waterproof," emphasizes "waterproof ratings," and still offers a free repair in case of water damage is AGM, a company that has been quietly specializing in rugged phones for many years.

As for other brands, once they detect the liquid intrusion indicator inside the phone turning red, they usually immediately add the phone to the "man-made damage" list for warranty rejection. Some brands offer high-priced factory repairs for this device, while others simply refuse to provide service. For example, the water-damaged iPhone of the Lei Technology friend mentioned earlier, Apple, after inspection, quoted a "repair price" of over 5,000 yuan. Based on the price, this repair should be a "whole-unit repair" after the warranty expires, essentially no different from getting a new phone.

Some might say that Apple is exaggerating the waterproof performance of its phones, but in reality, after the iPhone 12, Apple started following national standards and replaced "waterproof" with "water-resistant" in its descriptions. Even in promotional images, it removed pictures of the entire phone submerged in water. If we really want to analyze the issue from the perspective of deception, then "Zhijia" (Intelligent driving) and "Zijia" (Self-driving) are clearly more like wordplay.

Of course, based on online feedback, Apple does have a so-called "high-level customer service" or special channel, which can intervene in after-sales cases at stores or through other channels and provide free after