Apple's latest iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus finally launched, and the waterproof tests you've been waiting for are starting to surface.
Keeping up with the times, Apple finally added an IP67 certification to its latest iPhones, making them dust and water resistant. Considering that the warranty does not cover any water damage, however, it's important to know just how water resistant the smartphones really are.
Fear not, others have already taken it upon themselves to put the smartphones to a test or two, and videos are now available to showcase the process. The iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus took baths in fresh water, coffee, soda and even the ocean, testing the limits of their durability.
First off, it's worth highlighting again that the smartphone is not waterproof. It's water resistant, and that's a big difference. The IP67 rating of the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus means the smartphones can withstand being submerged in up to 1 meter (3.3 feet) of water for up to 30 minutes.
That said, the smartphones will likely not break down if they're submerged in water slightly deeper than 1 meter or for slightly over 30 minutes, but it's best not to push those limits.
Moreover, that water resistance wears down over time, which is why Apple doesn't cover liquid damage under warranty.
That said, the videos embedded at the end of the article show the iPhone 7 take a bath in a glass of hot water, some hot coffee, soda and the salty water of the ocean, which is particularly nasty for electronics.
The first video, courtesy of Infohut, shows the iPhone 7 Plus in a glass of water, completely unaffected — it has no issues receiving phone calls, texts and notifications despite the bath.
The same video gets a bit tougher later on, adding soda and hot coffee in the container. Because it's added on top of the water, the liquid is diluted, but it's still noteworthy that the smartphone had no reaction to hot liquid. The display showed no distortion, and the enclosure containing the innards of the smartphone showed no sign of liquid damage.
The second video, meanwhile, shows the iPhone 7 taking a swim at the beach, albeit it was submerged in 1 meter of salt water for only 20 seconds or so. The smartphone aced this test as well, coming out of the ocean unharmed.
Lastly, iFixit kicked off a live-streaming waterproof test with the iPhone 7 submerged in a tank. At the time of writing, the smartphone still works past the seven-hour mark.
Keep in mind, however, that these videos aim to satisfy your curiosity, but don't try this at home. Without further ado, check out the iPhone 7 waterproof test videos below.
