Though there is no truly waterproof phone available in the market, with the best IP67 and IP68 water-resistant phones, you don’t have to worry about unlucky splashes or submersion in water anymore. Here is an updated top waterproof phones list for 2020.
IDC estimated that nearly 900,000 smartphones are damaged by liquids every day. However, there is no truly waterproof phone available on the market, even the so-called waterproof ones, which would more accurately be described as water-resistant. But today there are all kinds of water-resistant handsets that won’t give up on a rainy day.
IP67 and IP68 water-resistant phones
As no phone is completely waterproof, there are IP ratings to define different levels of water resistance, two of the most common ratings among smartphones these days are IP67 and IP68. IP67 means full dust resistance and a phone can survive up to 30 minutes in water at a 1m depth; phones rated IP68 guarantee protection in water that’s 2m deep for the same period of time.
If you want to know how water-resistant your phone is, check out the IP rating. But please remember that liquids can cause damage to your phone, so don’t test the limits, or you may have to buy a new one. Note: liquid damage is not covered under warranty for almost all smartphone brands.
The best waterproof phones you can buy 2020
1. iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max
Water Resistance: Yes; IP68
Display: 5.8-inch/6.5 OLED
Rear camera: Triple-camera
Front camera: 12 MP
Release date: September 2019
Price: starting from $999
IP68 are usually deemed to be resistant to submersion up to a maximum depth of 1.5m underwater for up to thirty minutes. However, Apple has improved both the iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max’s durability so that they can last in up to 4 meter of water up to 30 minutes under IEC standard 60529, which is far better than other waterproof devices on the list. With the iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max, you’ll also get a stunning all-screen OLED display, triple-lens camera with Night Mode, Apple’s industry-leading A13 Bionic processor and great battery life along with those durability improvements. If anyone is interested in both waterproof phones and best small phones, the compact 5.8-inch iPhone 11 Pro should be the right option.
SEE ALSO: Best Small Phones for 2020
2. Samsung Galaxy S20
Water Resistance: Yes; IP68
Display: 6.7-inch AMOLED
Rear camera: 64MP quad-camera
Front camera: 10MP
Release date: February 2020
Price: starting at $999
All of Samsung’s latest high-end flagship phones Galaxy S20, Galaxy S20 Plus and Galaxy S20 Ultra sport IP68 water resistance at the 1.5-meter level. That’s less impressive than that of the 4-meter offered by Apple’s iPhone 11 Pro, but it should still be good enough for most people. The Samsung Galaxy S20 features a 6.2-inch display supporting dazzling 120Hz refresh rate, 64MP triple-lens system, a typical 4000mAh battery and 5G connectivity. If you can afford a higher price S20 model, you could go for the $1,199 Galaxy Plus and $1,399 Galaxy Ultra for more storage or a 108MP camera.
3. iPhone SE2 (2020)
Water Resistance: Yes; IP67
Display: 4.7-inch LCD
Rear camera: 12MP
Front camera: 7MP
Release date: April 2020
Price: starting at $399
At $399, the new second-generation iPhone SE is the cheapest IP-rated water resistant smartphone you can buy in 2020. The iPhone SE2 has almost the same design of iPhone 8 and also benefits from the iPhone 8’s water resistance. It is rated as IP67, meaning it is water resistant to 1 meter for a half hour. The iPhone SE2 features a 4.7-inch display, a small-size phone that you can handle with one hand, and it has the same A13 Bionic as iPhone 11 Pro, the fastest chip in iOS devices. It supports wireless charging and sports an aluminum-and-glass design, making it extremely premium compared to other Android phones within the similar price range. Though it only has 12MP + 7MP camera setup, not so impressive compared to other devices with 64MP or 48MP multi-cameras, it can shoot stunning images and high definition 4K videos.
4. OnePlus 8 Pro
Water Resistance: Yes; IP68
Display: 6.78-inch OLED
Rear camera: 48MP quad-camera
Front camera: 16MP
Release date: April 2020
Price: starting at $899
OnePlus 8 Pro is the first phone from the China’s phone brand OnePlus to tout IP-rated water resistance and wireless charging. While previous OnePlus devices such as OnePlus 7 Pro claimed that they are water resistant though without an official IP rating (so as to not drive up the costs), the new flagship OnePlus 8 Pro goes a step further. Like the other high-end smartphones Samsung Galaxy S20, the onePlus 8 Pro is IP68 rated to last for 30 minutes in a maximum of 1.5 meter of water. Asides from waterproof, the phone has a gorgeous 120Hz OLED screen, super fast wireless charging and a powerful Snapdragon 865 chipset.
5. Huawei P30 Pro
Water Resistance: Yes; IP68
Display: 6.47-inch OLED
Rear camera: Quad-camera
(40MP f/1.6 OIS (RYYB filter) + 8MP with periscope 135mm f/3.4 OIS lens (5x optical zoom) + 20MP f/2.2 ultra-wide (16mm) + ToF camera; 4K video capture, 720@960fps slow-mo, Leica branding)
Front camera: 32MP
Release date: March 2019
Price: starting from $645
The IP68-rated Huawei P30 Pro can survive in up to 2 meter deep water for 30 minutes. This superb phone is definitely one of the best camera phones on the market today, sporting quad-lens rear camera, it can accommodate a variety of perspectives, from shallow depth-of-field portraits to faraway zoom shots and wide-angle panoramas. You can use the splash-proof phone while taking a shower or to capture beautiful moments in the rain.
- Huawei P30 and P30 Pro Launched in Paris
6. OnePlus 7T Pro
Water Resistance: NO/Screen protection: Corning Gorilla Glass 5
Display: 6.67-inch Fluid AMOLED;
Rear camera: Triple-camera
(48 MP, f/1.6, (wide), 1/2″, 0.8µm, PDAF, Laser AF, OIS
8 MP, f/2.4, 78mm (telephoto), 3x optical zoom, PDAF, Laser AF, OIS
16 MP, f/2.2, 13mm (ultrawide), AF)
Front camera: Motorized pop-up 16 MP
Release date: October 2019
Price: starting from $780
OnePlus claims that their phone is water resistant to some degree, despite the fact that it doesn’t have an official IP rating. Alongside the release of the OnePlus 7 series, the phone company even published a video to demonstrate its phone falling into a bucket of water, explaining that “waterproof ratings for phones cost your money”.
From the 90Hz display to the top-tier specs and the lightning-fast OxygenOS over Android 10, the OnePlus 7T Pro is one of the best android flagship phones of the year. It features 6.67 inch Fluid AMOLED Display (90 Hz Refresh Rate), powerful Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 855 Plus, and rear triple-camera. News comes that a 5G version will come to the market.
- Limited OnePlus 7T Pro McLaren Edition Launched in China
To find out if OnePlus phones are “waterproof”, we put its predecessor OnePlus 6 into a glass of coca cola. Check out the video to see how that turned out.
7. OPPO Reno 2
Water Resistance: NO/Screen protection: Corning Gorilla Glass 6
Display: 6.5-inch AMOLED capacitive touchscreen
Rear camera: Quad-camera
(48 MP, f/1.7, 26mm (wide), 1/2.0″, 0.8µm, PDAF, OIS
13MP, f/2.4, (telephoto), 1/3.4″, 1.0µm, PDAF
8 MP, f/2.2, 13mm (ultrawide), 1/3.2″, 1.4µm
2 MP B/W, f/2.4, 1/5″, 1.75µm)
Front camera: Motorized pop-up 16 MP
Release date: September 2019
Price: starting from $420
Just like OnePlus, the OPPO phones also don’t have an official IP rating, but some Youtubers have tested OPPO Reno 2’s water-resistance by submitting the phone to splashing, soaking it in water, bringing it into the shower and the results suggest that the OPPO Reno 2 should have a waterproof rating of 5-6, which is enough for the average user. The OPPO Reno 2 sports waterproof Corning Gorilla Glass 6 and is coated with an oleophobic layer that effectively separates the water droplets.
OPPO Reno series smartphones have excellent camera performance. The Reno 2 houses a shark fin-like pop-up selfie camera and an updated quadruple camera configuration in the rear. Retailing at around $420, it is a viable option for those who want to have a robust alternative to premium flagships.
- OPPO Unveils Reno 2, Budget Powerhouse With Quadruple Cameras
8. Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
Water Resistance: Yes; IP68/Screen protection: Corning Gorilla Glass 6
Display: 6.4-inch Dynamic AMOLED capacitive touchscreen
Rear camera: Triple-camera
(12 MP, f/1.5-2.4, 26mm (wide), 1/2.55″, 1.4µm, Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS
12 MP, f/2.4, 52mm (telephoto), 1/3.6″, 1.0µm, AF, OIS, 2x optical zoom
16 MP, f/2.2, 12mm (ultrawide), 1/3.1″, 1.0µm, Super Steady video)
Front camera: 10 MP + 8MP
Release date: February 2019
Price: starting from $799
All of Samsung’s latest flagships sport IP68 rating water resistance, allowing them to stay protected under as much as 1.5m of water for up to 30 minutes. The Samsung Galaxy S10+ adopts a cutting-edge design with a gorgeous Infinity Super AMOLED display that takes up the entirety of the phone’s front side and its full-glass display assures its water-resistance to some degree. The Samsung flagship phone has a 6.4-inch display, triple rear camera setup, powerful Snapdragon 855 chipset, and an in-display ultrasonic fingerprint sensor.
