We asked, you told us: Here's how you really feel about water-resistant phones

These days, most flagship phones — from the Galaxy S21 trio to the OnePlus 9 series, OPPO Find X3 Pro to the Mi 11 Ultra — come bearing official water resistance ratings. Naturally, if you’re paying top dollar for a phone, you expect it to be able to survive accidental splashes, rain, or that god-forbidden drop in the can. However, water resistance is not always present on the more affordable flagships, case in point the realme GT or the vivo IQOO 7.

So it got us thinking — How important is water resistance to you when buying a flagship phone? We polled our readers on the topic, and here’s what they had to say.

How important is water resistance to you when buying a flagship?

Results

Our poll results show that our readers are split about having water resistance on their flagship phones. We received a total of 1,547 votes, of which a majority (34.9%) think the feature is not a priority. Still, those who voted for the option feel that water resistance is good to have on flagships.

A close second were the people who absolutely can’t do without water resistance on their flagship phones. 33.9% of our readers think the feature is essential and won’t buy a flagship device that doesn’t have it.

24.1% of the voters said water resistance is one of the several key considerations for them when buying a flagship phone. Meanwhile, 7.5% don’t care about it at all.

Your Comments

Lukas Dvorok: Since official dust and water resistance does not last as the phone ages, it’s not that useful. Also, it’s not part of the warranty. So it’s basically a useless number on paper unless manufacturers will take it seriously and include it in the warranty.

ISMoney: A lot of people who care about this feature haven’t learned how to care properly for their devices anyway. It’s not that difficult to remember to avoid water. They wouldn’t do it with their socks, but when it comes to their devices, they are a bit more careless.

AnySmarterIdRunLinux: I don’t forget to avoid water – I go to where the water is. And… Get this. I take my phone. And, when life happens, my phone is there to capture the moment and survive to do it another day.

Joe Black: It’s certainly nice to have as I have taken my phone with me when I took my kids in a pool.
Right now I have an IP-rated phone, but I would be more than willing to trade IP for better mics, speakers, or anything more of a value for me.

jdrch: I listen to podcasts in the shower with my phone on the bathroom counter, so it’s a priority for me.

Bart: I would like to have IP68, but I just know it is useless in long-term use in the rain.
Yes – the smartphone usually survives the first hour after removing it from water, but then problems start to happen – weird noises in earphones, some water marks, charging not working or not fully working, no data transfer in cable, and MILLIONS other small problems. Ask me how I know – I repair those devices on a daily basis, and I worked in a smartphone recycle factory diagnosing about 1,000 smartphones monthly. Basically, water resistance is only good if someone will sneeze on the smartphone.

Tennisfreak: I don’t take my phones in water. My phone is usually in a case or bumper of some type that offers some protection against water. Water resistance is nice to have but by no means a decision-maker on whether to buy a phone or not. I’ve always wondered why so many reviewers place such a high importance on this feature.

mattc: I’m active, sporty, and clumsy, so it’s a must.

Mohit: I would like to have a phone that can withstand splashes of water or can survive the rain. Especially if I am paying $1000+ for a phone, I don’t want it to die because it couldn’t survive a walk in the rain or an unfortunate sudden splurge of water.