Does IP68 Mean the Same Depth on Every Device?
No — under IEC 60529 the "8" in IP68 only requires protection deeper than 1 meter, and each
manufacturer declares its own tested depth and duration, which is why Apple's iPhone 15 (tested to 6 meters
for 30 minutes) and Samsung's Galaxy S24 (tested to 1.5 meters for 30 minutes) are both legitimately IP68
despite a 4x difference in declared depth.
The "8" is open-ended by design
IP67 is fixed by the standard at exactly 1 meter for 30 minutes, so every IP67 product is directly
comparable. IP68 is the tier above it, and the standard leaves the number to the manufacturer:
anything deeper than 1 meter, for a duration the maker itself declares and tests. Same two characters on the
box, very different promises behind them — see
Is IP67 Different From IP68? for the full comparison.
It's not just phones
The same fine print applies outside phones. The Jabra Elite 8 Active is one of the few sport earbuds carrying a
full IP68 designation, and the JBL Xtreme 4 steps up from IP67 to IP68 — but in both cases the
exact meters-and-minutes figure is whatever that manufacturer's current spec sheet declares. An IP68 earbud
does not inherit an IP68 phone's 6-meter test. Before buying, check the declared figure, not the badge.
We aggregate those declared figures in the IP Rating Reality Index — manufacturer-declared depth, duration, test medium, and warranty status for 12 popular products, as a versioned CSV anyone can cite.
See IP68-rated earbuds on Amazon →
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Under IEC 60529 the '8' only requires protection at depths greater than 1 meter — the actual tested depth and duration is declared by each manufacturer. Apple states the iPhone 15 is tested to 6 meters for 30 minutes, while Samsung states the Galaxy S24 is tested to 1.5 meters for 30 minutes. Both are legitimately IP68 despite a 4x difference in declared depth.
No — IP67 is the fixed one. The standard defines it as exactly 1 meter for 30 minutes in still fresh water, so any IP67 product is directly comparable to any other IP67 product. IP68 is the open-ended tier where the manufacturer declares its own figure.
Not necessarily. The Jabra Elite 8 Active carries an IP68 designation and the JBL Xtreme 4 steps up to IP68, but in both cases the exact depth and duration is whatever that manufacturer declares on its spec sheet — 'IP68' alone tells you less than the meters-and-minutes figure behind it.
Our IP Rating Reality Index aggregates the manufacturer-declared depth, duration, test medium, and warranty status for 12 popular waterproof products into one versioned CSV, so you can compare the actual numbers instead of the badge.