Why do cellphone waterproof ratings have a time limit? Example 6 meters for 30 minutes.
In: 54
It claims 30 minutes because the test conditions only require 30 minutes.
However the enclosure engineering pretty much guarantees that if it can stay underwater for more than probably 10 minutes, it’s not leaking at all and can probably stay there for days. If water resistance feature is comprimised, which they usually will after a few years or months of regular use, the phone will leak water in and within 10 minutes and break soon after that, not 30 minutes.
Water resistant phones are designed under IP ratings standardrized by IEC, IPx7 is the start of immersion requirements. 7 means 1 meter under regular fresh water for at least 30 minutes.
For phone enclosures sealed by permanent or removable pressure-sensitive adhesive, those adhesives typically don’t care how long they are under water as long as the liquid they expose to is actually regular water and pressure/temperature stays within limits. Other sealing elements include rubber gaskets, and most importantly, a GoreTex-covered vent that allows air pressure to equalize but prevents liquid water ingression.
Those materials do degrade with time, like in a few years under regular use, but contact with liquid does not significantly accelerate it, like down to a few hours.
So in conclusion, the 30 minute limit isn’t relevant most of the time.
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