IP67 vs IP68: What Smartphone IP Ratings Actually Mean

For a smartphone, IP67 and IP68 both indicate the highest solid-ingress level used in the applicable label framework: 6, meaning dust-tight. The difference is the water digit.

• IP67: dust-tight and protected for the standardized temporary-immersion level associated with water digit 7.
• IP68: dust-tight and protected for the standardized continuous-immersion level associated with water digit 8, with the specified depth/conditions provided for the model where applicable.

That makes IP68 a higher water-ingress category than IP67 under the rating system. It does not mean "completely waterproof in every situation," and it says nothing by itself about drop resistance, scratch resistance or long-term seal condition.

Model identifier	Battery endurance	Battery cycles	Repairability index	Energy efficiency class	Compare
BLU G75G75	499 h 59 min	≥ 9,900 cycles	3.6	C	+ Add to compare
DOOGEE V Max 2V Max 2	403 h 10 min	≥ 1,000 cycles	3.45	B	+ Add to compare
DOOGEE V Max 2 ProV Max 2 Pro	403 h 10 min	≥ 1,000 cycles	3.45	B	+ Add to compare
ulefone Armor 34Armor 34	384 h 54 min	≥ 1,000 cycles	3.19	A	+ Add to compare
ulefone Armor 34 ProArmor 34 Pro	384 h 54 min	≥ 1,000 cycles	3.19	A	+ Add to compare

Data source: EPREL · Last updated: Sep 7, 2026

How to read an IP code

An IP rating uses two digits after the letters IP.

For the smartphone/slate-tablet framework FactRated uses:

• the first digit describes protection against solid foreign objects/dust;
• the second digit describes protection against harmful water ingress.

FactRated derives the consumer-facing IPxy string from the canonical solid and water fields rather than trusting duplicate display fields.

The first digit: solids and dust

The solid-ingress digit runs from 0 to 6 in the applicable framework.

At a high level:

• 0 means no specified protection;
• intermediate values increase protection against progressively smaller solid objects;
• 5 means dust-protected;
• 6 means dust-tight.

So both IP67 and IP68 begin with 6 and therefore share the same dust-tight solid-ingress level.

The second digit: water

The water digit progresses through different standardized exposures.

In the smartphone/tablet labelling framework, the relevant scale runs through 8. The upper levels include:

• 7: temporary immersion at the defined level;
• 8: continuous immersion at a depth of 1 metre or more under the specified conditions.

Where the source provides an immersion-depth field for an IPx8 product, FactRated can show it separately.

This is important because not every IP68 product should be assumed to have identical detailed immersion conditions simply because the two-character code is the same.

IP68 is not a universal "waterproof" promise

An IP code is a standardized ingress-protection classification under test conditions.

It is not a promise that:

• every type of liquid exposure is covered;
• a device will remain equally sealed after damage or aging;
• salt water, chlorinated water, hot liquids or high-pressure jets are automatically covered;
• a manufacturer's warranty will cover every liquid-damage scenario.

When exposure matters, read the model's own manufacturer conditions as well as the standardized IP value.

FactRated uses IP as a comparison field, not as a replacement for the manufacturer's care instructions.

IP rating is not drop resistance

A rugged-looking device can have strong ingress protection and ordinary repeated free-fall performance, or vice versa.

FactRated keeps these fields separate:

• IP protection;
• repeated free-fall reliability;
• screen scratch resistance.

That is deliberate. Combining them into one "durability score" would require subjective weighting and could hide the type of protection a user actually needs.

If you frequently work around water, IP may be the priority. If you frequently drop phones, free-fall reliability may matter more. If pocket/key scratches are the concern, screen scratch resistance is a separate measurement.

IP67 vs IP68 in practical comparison

If all other things were equal, IP68 represents a higher standardized water-ingress level than IP67.

But all other things are rarely equal.

When choosing between two phones, compare:

1. the IP code;
2. specified immersion depth where available;
3. standardized battery endurance;
4. repeated free-fall reliability;
5. repairability;
6. battery-cycle durability;
7. software support.

This is why FactRated has curated pages such as IP68 smartphones ranked by battery endurance rather than declaring every IP68 device superior overall.

See IP68 smartphones ranked by battery endurance

What about IP54, IP64 and other codes?

The same two-digit logic applies.

For example:

• IP54 has a lower solid-ingress level than IP64 and a water digit of 4;
• IP64 uses the maximum solid digit 6 but not the immersion-level water digits 7 or 8;
• IP68 combines solid digit 6 with water digit 8.

Do not compare only the last digit or only the first. Both describe different parts of protection.

Why FactRated stores the digits separately

The source can contain both canonical component fields and duplicate/convenience IP representations.

FactRated stores the documented solid and water values separately and derives the familiar IP68-style display itself.

That makes it easier to:

• filter by dust protection;
• filter by water protection;
• validate composite codes;
• avoid depending on an undocumented duplicate field;
• add model-specific immersion depth when available.

This is a technical implementation detail, but it improves the reliability of the user-facing filters.

Frequently asked questions

Is IP68 better than IP67?

For the water-ingress digit, yes: 8 is a higher standardized level than 7. Both codes use solid digit 6, the dust-tight level.

Is an IP68 phone waterproof?

"Waterproof" is too broad. IP68 describes standardized ingress protection under defined conditions. Real exposure, damage, aging and manufacturer warranty conditions can differ.

Are all IP68 phones safe at the same depth?

Do not assume that. The applicable IPx8 condition is continuous immersion at 1 metre or more, and a model can have a specified immersion depth. Check the model-specific information.

Does IP68 mean the phone is more drop resistant?

No. Drop resistance is measured separately through the repeated free-fall reliability framework.

Does a case change the registered IP rating?

The registered rating belongs to the model under its defined test conditions. An accessory can affect real-world protection but does not change the official model value FactRated displays.

Related FactRated pages

• IP68 smartphones with the longest battery endurance
• Most drop-resistant smartphones
• Smartphone screen scratch resistance
• Find a phone by IP protection

Sources and methodology

The ingress-protection interpretation used here follows the applicable smartphone/slate-tablet framework in Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/1669 and European Commission consumer guidance. FactRated displays/derives the IP code from normalized registered source fields and does not perform water-ingress testing itself.

Data source: EPREL · Last updated: Sep 7, 2026