Best Waterproof Phones In 2022

15 Jun 2022, by Lydia Kah-Pavlou, min. read

If you’re a bit clumsy, you’ll definitely benefit from a waterproof phone. Waterproof phones are exactly what you’d expect, they’re designed to withhold being submerged in water for a certain period of time, so if you do accidentally spill a drink on your phone or drop it in the swimming pool you won’t need to completely panic.

Modern smartphones have adapted to suit the consumers’ needs better than ever and luckily, this means that there’s finally a solution to an accidental water spill that isn’t sitting your phone in rice for hours or giving up all hope and having to buy a new phone.

If you’re interested in waterproof phones, you’ll want to look at the IP rating, otherwise known as the dust and water resistance rating to see how it checks out. IP ratings are made up of 4 characters, with the first two standing for Ingress Protection, meaning how good it is at stopping stuff getting inside of it.

The 3rd number will be a rating, that will go up to 6 as a maximum which indicates how good it is at preventing dust or sand from entering the phone and the final number, which has a maximum of 8 indicates liquid or water resistance. This means a rating of IPX8 is the best that you can get.

What are the best waterproof phones?

There are loads of different waterproof phones out there, with most modern smartphones now having a pretty impressive IP rating.

Apple has lots of current iPhone models in production that will suit all budgets, while Google, Samsung and OnePlus also have some great options if you’re firmly team Android.

From the iPhone X model onwards, Apple has promised that their phones are water-resistant and it’s likely that the next model of iPhone will continue this high standard, as their most recent phone have had an IP rating of IP68- the best that you can get.

However, if you’re not a fan of Apple phones brands such as OnePlus have also jumped on the bandwagon of providing IP ratings for their newest phones, even though this wasn’t something they stereotypically did.

Luckily, waterproof phones aren’t rare to find, and most modern smartphones will have an IP rating, so whatever phone you’re eyeing up, as long as it has a release date in the last 4-5 years, it should be pretty water-resistant.

How to choose the best waterproof phone for you

If you want a waterproof phone, you’ll want to look at the IP rating to get a good idea of how much water your phone can withhold and for how long it can be submerged. Luckily, most modern smartphones should have a decent rating, so this isn’t something you need to be hugely worried about when deciding on a new phone.

Make sure to look at the other features of the waterproof phones to make sure it’s going to suit your needs. For example, a lot of new smartphones can be quite expensive but you might not need to use all of the features that it’s offering such as a quad-camera setup, and may be able to find a cheaper model that will suit you better.

The best waterproof phones 2022

1. iPhone 13 Pro Max

The iPhone 13 Pro Max is currently Apple’s best and most recent iPhone offering. As you’d expect from the most expensive and premium iPhone, this is a great waterproof option and it has an industry-leading IP68 water and dust resistance rating.

Gone are the days of spilling a drink on your iPhone and it being completely unresponsive, as Apple has been working on making all their recent phone models waterproof. The iPhone 13 Pro Max, along with the other phones in the iPhone 13 lineup can hold up after being submerged in up to 6 metres of water for up to 30 minutes, which is pretty impressive. So, whether you accidentally drop your phone down the toilet or spill a drink on it you’ll have plenty of time to retrieve it with no water damage.

Other great benefits of the iPhone 13 Pro Max include the triple rear camera, long-lasting battery life and the super speedy A15 bionic smartphone chip. It’s currently the best iPhone out there, so, if you only want the best of the best, this is the phone for you.

Specifications:

Water resistance: IP68; max 6 meters for 30 minutes
Display: 6.7-inch OLED (2778 x 1284)
Rear camera: 12MP wide (ƒ/1.6), 12MP ultra-wide (ƒ/2.4), 12MP telephoto (ƒ/2.2)
Front camera: 12MP (ƒ/2.2)
CPU: A15 Bionic
Battery life (Hrs:Mins): 12:16

Pros

The latest iPhone model
Can withhold being submerged in 6 meters of water for half an hour
Pro features including triple rear camera and A15 Bionic chip

Cons

Expensive
Has a lot of pro features that the average person isn’t going to use

Get a student discount at EE

2. Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra

The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra has an IP68 dust and water rating, allowing you to drop it in up to 1.5 metres of water for up to 30 minutes without having to worry. While the Galaxy S22 Ultra is a great waterproof phone, it has a whole range of other premium features that make it worth buying.

The key feature of the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra is the fact that it comes with the S pen stylus and is the first model in the Galaxy lineup to do so, so there are endless options for productivity to explore. Super fast charging and all-day battery, the quad-camera setup and 120Hz LTPO AMOLED display all make this a great smartphone to invest in.

Specifications:

Water resistance: IP68; max 1.5 meters for 30 minutes
Display: 6.8-inch OLED (3200 x 1400)
Rear camera: 108MP main (ƒ/1.8), 12MP ultra-wide (ƒ/2.2), 10MP telephoto with 3x zoom (ƒ/2.4), 10MP telephoto with 10x zoom (ƒ/4.9)
Front camera: 40MP (ƒ/2.2)
CPU: Snapdragon 8 Gen 1
Battery life (Hrs:Mins): 9:50

Pros

Comes with the S pen stylus built in
Quad rear camera setup and impressive front camera
Can withhold being submerged in 1.5 metres of water for up to 30 minutes

Cons

Bulky
Not the best charging or battery life

Get a student discount at Samsung

3. OnePlus 10 Pro

If you’re not a fan of Apple or Samsung products, the OnePlus 10 Pro is the latest OnePlus flagship for fans of the brand. With a water and dust resistance rating of IP68, a bright and fluid display and impressive triple rear camera setup, this phone has amazing reviews.

While you’ll be able to live without fear of your phone breaking if it comes into contact with water, other great benefits of the OnePlus 10 Pro include the fact that it’s engineered for gamers thanks to the HyperBoost gaming engine, as well as having long battery life, fast charging and speedy 5G.

The OnePlus 10 Pro runs OxygenOS 12, which has a brand new visual direction designed to make your life easier and seamlessly boost your productivity.

Specifications:

Water resistance: IP68; max 1.5 metres for 30 minutes
Display: 6.7-inch AMOLED (3216 x 1440)
Rear camera: 48MP main (ƒ/1.8), 50MP ultra-wide (ƒ/2.2), 8MP 3.3x telephoto (ƒ/2.4)
Front camera: 32MP (ƒ/2.2)
CPU: Snapdragon 8 Gen 1
Battery life (Hrs:Mins): 11:52

Pros

Affordable
Good battery life
Good for gaming
Good front and rear cameras

Cons

Not every version of the phone has an IP rating

Get a student discount at OnePlus

4. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip is revolutionary for the fact that the screen folds in half, making it a compact and innovative phone to get your hands on. It’s no surprise that a phone that’s so ahead of the game also has an excellent dust and water rating of IPX8, meaning you won’t have to worry about accidentally damaging your phone with water.

If you want a fun and unique phone, the Galaxy Z Flip is definitely a phone worth investing in, as not only is the nostalgic design innovative, it’s perfect for slotting into your bag, is 5G ready and also super affordable, considering the fact the screen literally folds in half!

Specifications:

Water resistance: IPX8; up to 3 meters
Display: 6.7-inch AMOLED (2640 x 1080)
Rear camera: 12MP (ƒ/1.8), 12MP (ƒ/2.2)
Front camera: 10MP (ƒ/2.4)
CPU: Octa-core
Battery life (Hrs:Mins): 16:00

Pros

Nostalgic and unique design
Compact
Affordable

Cons

Not the best battery life
Previous versions of the phone had issues with the screen cracking or not working, so this is a risk with this style of phone

Get a student discount at Samsung

5. iPhone 12

The iPhone 12 is one of the more affordable iPhone models, as many people may opt for the more advanced iPhone 12 Pro or the iPhone 13 line, but that doesn’t mean that this isn’t a great phone with some great features. With a dust and water rating of IP68 it can be submerged in up to 6 metres of water for up to 30 minutes, which is enough time to save your phone in the case of any accidents.

The iPhone 12 might not be the fanciest iPhone on the market, but if you don’t care too much about the camera (even though its dual-camera system is still pretty impressive), you’ll benefit from long-lasting battery, super retina XDR OLED display, 5G and the latest operating system that runs on the iPhone 13 range. So, despite not being the newest model you’ll get pretty much the same benefits, for a more affordable price.

Specifications:

Water resistance: IP68; max 6 meters for 30 minutes
Display: 6.1-inch OLED (2532 x 1170)
Rear camera: 12MP wide (ƒ/1.6), 12MP ultra-wide (ƒ/2.4)
Front camera: 12MP (ƒ/2.2)
CPU: A14 Bionic
Battery life (Hrs:Mins): 8:25

Pros

Affordable
Good performance
Same durability and IP rating as iPhone 12 Pro/Max models

Cons

Not the best camera compared to iPhone 12 Pro/Max and iPhone 13 Pro/Max models
Not the best battery life

Get a student discount at EE

6. Google Pixel 6 Pro

The Google Pixel 6 Pro is a phone that benefits from a huge screen and a fluid OLED display. The Pixel 6 Pro has a dust and water resistance rating of IP68 and a new Tensor chip making it one of the best Google phones ever released. The Tensor chip makes running demanding apps or video games effortless and the battery life is super impressive.

A drawback of the Google Pixel 6 Pro is that it will only survive 1.5 metres of water when submerged, but this shouldn’t be a problem for the average person who worries about spilling a drink on their phone by accident.

Specifications:

Water resistance: IP68; max 1.5 meters for 30 minutes
Display: 6.7-inch OLED (3120 x 1440)
Rear camera: 50MP main (ƒ/1.8.5), 12MP ultra-wide (ƒ/2.2), 48MP telephoto with 4x optical zoom (ƒ/3.5)
Front camera: 11.1MP (ƒ/2.2)
CPU: Tensor
Battery life (Hrs:Mins): 7:49

Pros

Great cameras
New Tensor chip
Affordable

Cons

Clunky and heavy
Not the best battery life

Get a student discount at Google Store

7. iPhone SE

The iPhone SE is Apple’s budget phone, which goes back to the basics of a classic iPhone model that we all know and love but with modern features. For those who love and miss the home button and can’t get past just not having one but your older model iPhones have slowed down and can no longer be updated to the latest OS, this is the phone for you.

Not only does it have the classic iPhone design, the iPhone SE also has a dust and water resistance rating of IP67 and can hold up if it’s submerged in up to 1 meter of water for half an hour, which is impressive for a budget-friendly phone. You’ll also get the A15 Bionic chip that the more expensive iPhones including the iPhone 13 Pro Max have, while retaining the design of an iPhone 8.

If you’re on a budget and don’t want to invest in a super-expensive phone, or don’t think you’ll benefit from the features of the iPhone 12 or 13 Pro Max, the iPhone SE is the phone for you.

Specifications:

Water resistance: IP67; max 1 meter for 30 minutes
Display: 4.7-inch LCD (1334 x 750)
Rear camera: 12MP wide (ƒ/1.8)
Front camera: 7MP (ƒ/2.2)
CPU: A15 Bionic
Battery life (Hrs:Mins): 10:00

Pros

A15 chip
Other iPhone 12/13 Pro benefits, while retaining the style of an iPhone 8
Affordable

Cons

Not good if you prefer the more modern design of the iPhone X onwards
Only one rear camera

Get a student discount at EE

What phones are waterproof?

Waterproof phones are pretty common, especially if you’re buying a phone that has been made in the last 5 years or so. Older models of phones won’t be waterproof, but if you want to double-check you can search up the IP rating of the phone you’re considering buying to check and see whether it’s waterproof or not. Most modern Apple, Samsung and Google phones will be waterproof.

What does IP65 mean?

If a phone has an IP65 rating this means that the dust rating is 6, which is the highest possible rating. The water rating, however, is only 5 out of a potential 8 which means although the dust rating is good, your phone probably isn’t going to be fully protected from water or other liquids if there’s an accidental spill.

What does IP67 mean?

If a phone has an IP67 rating, this means that the dust rating is 6 out of a maximum score of 6 and the water rating is 7 out of a maximum score of 8. This means that this is a fairly good dust and water resistance rating, but it’s not the best score overall.

What does water resistant mean?

Water-resistant means how well an item can withhold being either submerged in or splashed with water. Lots of day to day items aren’t waterproof and can be completely damaged if they come into contact with water. Unfortunately, it’s pretty easy to accidentally knock a drink over or drop something into a pool of water, so many everyday items, phones included are built to either be fully waterproof or water-resistant in some way, meaning that the risk of significant water damage is minimised.

How long can the iPhone 11 stay in water?

The iPhone 11 has an IP rating of IP68, meaning that it can withhold being submerged in up to 6 metres of water for up to half an hour. This is the highest IP rating there is, so you won’t have to worry about dirt such as dust or sand entering your phone, or water damage if you accidentally drop your phone down the toilet or spill a drink onto it.