The Latest Waterproof Smartphones 2021
Looking for a smartphone to take to beach and pool parties? Rugged and waterproof smartphones are ideally more durable compared to conventional models, and are more likely to protect your phone from short-circuits due to water submersion.
Don't just look at the names, though, as many smartphones claim to be waterproof with tags associated to water bodies. A true waterproof devices is tested, and then rated by third party organizations in two ways. Ingress Protection (IP) tests assess the level of protection that a device has when exposed to water or dust -- an IP rating of 8 means that the device is fully submersible underwater for long periods of time. On the other hand, Military Specifications and Standards (MIL-STD) test the performance of devices under certain scenarios. Our list includes high-end waterproofed Xperias from Sony, some compact water-resistant basic models like the Samsung Solid, as well as the Land Rover A8 from rugged manufacturer, Sonim.
Listed here are basic phones and waterproof smartphones with a rugged rating in either the IP or MIL-STD format. Additionally, they are all particularly described as waterproof by their respective manufacturers.
The List:
Rugged rating: IP52 (water- and dust-resistant)
Includes: - SIM tray ejector
- Warp Charge 30 Power Adapter
- Warp Type-C Cable
The iPhone 12's specs include compatibility with Apple's MagSafe snap-on accessories (for those who love to personalize their phones), a 6.1-inch OLED screen with a Ceramic Shield finish, and a double 12-megapixel main camera.
Rugged rating: IP68 (waterproof under up to 6m or 30 minutes, dust-proof)
Rugged rating: IP68 (splash-ready, dust-resistant, waterproof for up to 30 mins under up to 6m)
Includes:
Rugged rating: IP68 (dust-resistant, splash-ready, waterproof up to 30 minutes under 6m)
Includes: USB‑C to Lightning cable
Rugged rating: IP68 (dust-resistant, splash-ready, waterproof up to 30 minutes under 6m)
The Sony Xperia 5 II runs on a 2.84GHz octa-core processor and 8GB of RAM, which we consider a respectable combo for a 2020 flagship Android.
Rugged rating: IP65/68 (water-resistant)
Rugged rating: IP68 (splash/water-resistant up to 1.5m for 30 minutes and dust-tight), IP69K, MIL-STD-810G
Includes: - Charging indicator card
- Detachable 3-in-1 endoscope (with protective case
- OTG cable
- SIM needle
- Sling
- Type-C to Micro-USUB adapter
- and magnet)
- hook
- reflecting mirror
Rugged rating: MIL-SPEC-810G (thermal shock between -25 to 55C for up to 24 hours), Category 4 resistant to salt mist and humidity, IP68 & IP69 (resistant to sand/dust/dirt, waterproof under 1.5m for up to 35 minutes, drop-tested from 1.8m onto steel)
Rugged rating: IP68 and IP69 (sand/dust-resistant, waterproof, drop-tested from 1.8m onto steel), MIL-SPEC-810H
Rugged rating: IP68 (waterproof)
Rugged rating: IP68 (waterproof up to 1.5m for 30 minutes, dust-proof), IP69K, MIL-STD-810G (military-grade performance on low-pressure, acidic, humidity, and solar radiation tests)
Includes:
The LG Velvet runs on the 2.4GHz eight-core Snapdragon 765G engine that befits a 2020-released high-ender.
Rugged rating: IP68 (waterproof and dust-resistant)
Includes:
Rugged rating: IP68/IP69K (waterproof), MIL-STD-810G (military-grade housing)
Rugged rating: IP68 and IP69K (1.5m waterproof, 1.2m drop-resistant), MIL-STD 810G (-30C IceMode)
Includes:
Rugged rating: IP68 (waterproof, shock-resistant, dust-proof), MIL-STD-810G (certification for low pressure, acidic atmosphere, humidity, and solar radiation tests)
Includes: - Ear jack adapter
- OTG cable
- SIM card pin
Rugged rating: IP68 (splash/water-resistant under 1.5m for up to 30 minutes, dust-right), IP69K (IEC standard 60529), MIL-STD-810G (IEC standard 60529, for drops from up to 1.2m and up to 24 hours under 1m concrete -- also passes military-grade pressure, humidity, acidity, and solar radiation tests)
Includes: - Protective film
- SIM needle
- Sling
- Spudger
Rugged rating: IP68 (1.5m waterproof), MIL-STD-810G (1.5m drop-proof, 99 percent dust-proof)
Includes:
Rugged rating: IP68 and IP69K (waterproof under 1.5m for up to 30 minutes, dust-proof), MIL-STD 810G (-20 to 60C working temperature, drop-proof from up to 1.5m)
Includes:
Rugged rating: IP68/IP69K (waterproof and dust-proof), MIL-STD-810G (drop-proof + passes low-pressure, humidity, acidity, and solar radiation tests)
Includes: - Card slot opener
- Explosion-proof film
- Sling
- Type-C headphone adapter
Rugged rating: IP65/68 (water-resistant)
Rugged rating: IP68 & IP69K (waterproof), MIL-STD-810G
Includes:
Rugged rating: IP68 and IP69K (waterproof), MIL-STD 810G (drop-proof from up to 1.5m, all-around dust-proof)
Includes:
The 2020 Motorola Edge is a high-end photography smartphone rigged with a triple-lens main cam accompanied by a time-of-flight sensor, a 6.7-inch 90Hz screen with the Endless Edge design, and a 5G network adapter.
Rugged rating: IP52 (water-repellent design)
Includes: - Headset
- Protective back cover (market-dependent)
- SIM tool
Rugged rating: IP65/68 (water-resistant)
Includes: Headset (depending on market)
Rugged rating: IP68 (water- and dust-proof), IP69K (resistant to temperature extremes), MIL-STD-810G (for shock-resistance and other military-grade torment tests)
Includes: - Magnetic 3500mAh Battery module
- Speaker module (6W HiFi
- dual 27mm speakers)
Rugged rating: IP68 (1.2m drop-proof, 1.5m waterproof, dust-proofing)
Includes: - OTG cable
- SIM pin
- Screen protector
Rugged rating: IP68 (splash/water-resistant, dust-proof)
Includes: - Eject tool
- Type-C earphones
The Huawei P40 runs on an eight-core 2.86GHz engine combined with a 16-core GPU, making it one of Huawei's fastest phones (at least on paper) as of its market entry.
Rugged rating: IP53 (splash-, water-, and dust-resistant)
Includes: - Eject tool
- Protective case (not available in Western Europe and Northeast Europe markets)
- Type-C earphones
The iPhone SE 2020 is a low-specked iPhone equipped with a 4K-video-capable (2160p) 12-megapixel camera, a 4.7-inch Retina HD screen, and the A13 Bionic chip.
Rugged rating: IP67 (waterproof up to 30 min under 1m)
Includes: - EarPods (with Lightning Connector)
- Lightning to USB cable
Rugged rating: IP68/IP69K (splash-ready, dust-resistant, waterproof up to 30 minutes under 1.5m), MIL-STD-810G (resistant to pressure/temperature extremes, acidic atmosphere, solar radiation, humidity)
Includes: - OTG cable
- SIM needle
- Tempered glass screen protector
- Type-C to Micro USB Adapter
- USB Type-C to 3.5mm headphone jack adapter
Rugged rating: IP68 (waterproof and dust-proof), MIL-STD-810G (military grade ruggedness for dust, shock, water, humidity, solar radiation, and temperature extremes)
Includes:
* Prices shown are only indicative. They were recently fetched by our system and may have changed meanwhile.