Come early October, Google will launch its 2016 flagship phones: these are HTC-made, Pixel-branded premium smartphones that will run a customized version of Android and cost you quite a bit more than you’re used to spending for a Google phone. They’ll also look very much like an iPhone 7, at least the front side — not that it’s a bad thing at this point. While many of the specs and features of the Pixel and Pixel XL are already known, a new report says the phones won’t be able to handle water spills very well at all.
If only Google had followed Apple’s lead here and made the phones water-resistant, instead of following Apple’s lead elsewhere.
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According to the well-informed blog Android Police, a site that revealed many details about the two Pixel handsets, both the Pixel and Pixel XL will have an IP53 certification. The “5” in there says that your Pixel phone will be pretty safe from dust damage, as dust particles will have a hard time getting in it.
The “3” says the Pixel isn’t even water-resistant at all, let alone waterproof. The rating indicates the phone will survive contact with water, as long as it’s held in an upright position at an angle that doesn’t exceed 60 degrees from vertical while being sprayed with low-pressure water. So if the phone is placed horizontally on a table or counter and you spill water on it, you might be in trouble.
In other words, as long as the phone’s ports do not come in contact with liquid, you should be safe.
Comparatively, this year’s top phones including the Galaxy S7 and the iPhone 7 series are water-resistant (ratings of IP68 and IP67, respectively), which means they can still function after being immersed in shallow water for a limited amount of time. So if you drop them in the pool, you’ll still be able to use them.
