Apple’s first water-resistant iPhones were the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, both of which featured an IP67 water-resistant rating. Since then, Apple has upgraded its iPhones to feature IP68, and says it provides water resistance of six meters deep for up to 30 minutes.
The time stat seems to be significantly underreported, as proved in a recent incident from Lake Paranoá, Brazil.
Breno Rafael, a student, accidentally dropped his iPhone 11 into Lake Paranoá while kayaking and presumed it lost forever. A week later, diving instructor Edinho Rocha found the iPhone seven meters underwater during a night dive with his students, as reported by G1, via 9to5Mac.
“I put it in my vest pocket. When I reached the surface, I thought [the] phone was no longer working. And then I saw that the screen was working,” said Rocha. He used the device’s Emergency menu to locate the owner, and Rafael was eventually able to unlock the phone with his password and confirm that it was still functioning normally.
Rafael’s device was an iPhone 11, which offers IP68 water resistance for a maximum depth of 2 meters for up to 30 minutes. However, in this case, the phone survived being submerged for a week, suggesting that its water-resistant capabilities may be even stronger than advertised.
While it’s always important to take precautions when using electronic devices in and around water, it’s good to know that the iPhone’s water-resistant capabilities can sometimes exceed expectations.
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