Is Water Damage Covered by Warranty on an IP68 Device?
Usually not — this is arguably the single most useful fact on this site. Apple's support page states plainly that liquid damage isn't covered by the standard iPhone warranty, and Samsung's standard warranty excludes water damage too, in both cases even though the devices carry a genuine IP68 rating.
Two separate promises
An IP68 rating is a statement about what a new device withstood in one controlled lab test. A warranty is a promise about manufacturing defects. Both Apple and Samsung state that water/dust resistance is not a permanent condition — so if your rated device takes on water, that's treated as a use-related event the warranty doesn't cover, not a defect it does.
What actually covers liquid damage
Paid accidental-damage plans — like Apple's AppleCare+ — separately cover a limited number of liquid-damage incidents for a fee. That protection comes from the plan, not from the IP68 rating itself. Check your specific manufacturer's documentation, since our IP Rating Reality Index only confirms this policy directly for the brands whose support pages state it explicitly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Usually not, even on genuinely IP68-rated devices. Apple's support documentation explicitly states liquid damage isn't covered by the standard one-year limited warranty, and Samsung's standard warranty similarly excludes water damage — in both cases regardless of the device's IP68 rating.
Because the two are different commitments. The IP68 rating describes what a new device withstood in a single controlled lab test. The warranty covers manufacturing defects. Both Apple and Samsung state that water/dust resistance is not considered a permanent condition, so damage from any water exposure — even within the rated depth/duration — is treated as a use-related event, not a defect.
We can only confirm this directly for Apple and Samsung, whose support pages state it explicitly. Our IP Rating Reality Index marks warranty status as 'Not disclosed' for products where we have not independently verified the manufacturer's specific warranty language, rather than assuming the same policy applies everywhere.
Sometimes — for example, Apple's AppleCare+ separately covers a limited number of accidental damage events, including liquid damage, for an additional fee. That is a distinct paid product from the standard warranty, not something the IP68 rating itself provides.