Is the Samsung Galaxy S23 waterproof? What the IP rating means

Water doesn’t mix well with smartphones, but accidents can happen, so it’s always good to check to see if your phone is waterproof — especially with a new phone like the Galaxy S23 series.

Contents

  • The Samsung Galaxy S23 is water-resistant
  • Understanding the IP68 rating

The Galaxy S23, S23 Plus, and Galaxy S23 Ultra are all really enticing packages. They have AMOLED displays with 120Hz refresh rates, Qualcomm’s latest and greatest processor, powerful cameras, and a whole lot more. But before you get ready to throw down your hard-earned dollars, you’re probably wondering: Is the Samsung Galaxy S23 waterproof?

The Samsung Galaxy S23 is water-resistant

Andy Boxall/Digital Trends

The good news is the Samsung Galaxy S23, Galaxy S23 Plus, and Galaxy S23 Ultra all have a strong chance of making it through an unfortunate watery encounter, as each has an IP68 water-resistance rating.

Related

  • The best Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus screen protectors: 7 great choices

  • The best Samsung Galaxy S23 screen protectors: our 7 favorites

  • The best Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra cases: top 8 you can buy right now

Does this make the phones waterproof? No, but they are very much so water-resistant. Many people use the terms interchangeably, but there is a difference — and it’s worth understanding.

Understanding the IP68 rating

An Ingress Protection (IP) rating is the international standard against which products are tested to establish how resistant to water and dust they are. The numbers refer to the effectiveness of the protection. An IP68 rating is the highest we see on smartphones, meaning you won’t find better from competing products, and it’s all without the need to put the device in a special case.

The first number in an IP68 rating refers to dust and particle protection, and the six is the highest available on a smartphone. The Galaxy S23 range is dust-tight, so no particles can enter the phone and interfere with the delicate electronics. The second number is about water resistance and is slightly more complicated.

Andrew Martonik/Digital Trends

The eight is the highest available rating, and according to Samsung, it means the Galaxy S23, Galaxy S23 Plus, and Galaxy S23 Ultra will resist fresh water ingress down to a depth of 1.5 meters for a duration of 30 minutes. The company recommends against subjecting the phone to water “moving with force,” and that if it comes into contact with liquids other than water, rinse it with fresh water and then dry it with a cloth.

It puts the Galaxy S23 range at the top of the pile when it comes to water resistance, alongside devices like the Apple iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro. Samsung’s Armor Aluminum material is used for the chassis, and Gorilla Glass Victus 2 is used to cover the screen, which means the rest of the phone is tough too.

We still recommend putting it in a case if you’re prone to dropping phones, as no matter how strong the glass and aluminum are, a long drop onto a hard surface won’t do it any good. For recommendations, see our picks for the best Galaxy S23 cases, best Galaxy S23 Plus cases, and best Galaxy S23 Ultra cases.

dt-daily-logo.png?fit=430%2C140&p=1

Today’s tech news, curated and condensed for your inbox

Subscribe



Check your inbox!

Please provide a valid email address to continue.

This email address is currently on file. If you are not receiving newsletters, please check your spam folder.

Sorry, an error occurred during subscription. Please try again later.

Privacy Policy

Use a different email

Related posts

Latest posts

Anthropic Claude is evolving into a web search tool

Anthropic has introduced a web search feature powered by its Claude 3.7 Sonnet model, adding to the competitive AI search landscape.

The Google Pixel 9a is missing a crucial life-saving feature

Google's newly launched Pixel 9a brings many features as the Pixel 9 for just $499, but lacks some crucial features.

Motorola Razr 60 leak predicts an odd mix of good and bad news

Motorola’s next entry-point foldable phone will reportedly be smaller and charges slower, but it gets sturdier build and adds a neat display trick, as well.

The new Motorola Razr Plus (2025) will come in a handsome wood edition, leak shows

A new leak shows a wood colorway for the Motorola Razr Plus (2025).

AMD dominates Amazon CPU sales, but Intel still fights back

AMD is doing great, at least as far as Amazon CPU sales are concerned -- but Intel still has a few horses in this race.

AMD GPUs are supposed to be plentiful, but good luck finding one

According to a new leak, AMD is said to be shipping lots of RDNA 4 GPUs. But where are they?

The Samsung Odyssey Neo G7 gaming monitor is $400 off — with a nice add-on deal

The 32-inch Samsung Odyssey Neo G7 gaming monitor is down to $700 from Samsung for savings of $400, and you can add the JBL Quantum 910 gaming headset for $200.

Mac users are being targeted by a vicious new phishing scam. Here’s how to stay safe

Hackers are targeting Mac users with a nefarious new phishing scam that employs clever tricks to steal your data. Here’s how to avoid falling victim to it.

The Lenovo Legion Tower 5 gaming PC with 16GB of RAM is $330 off

The Lenovo Legion Tower 5 Gen 8 gaming PC with the AMD Ryzen 5 7600 processor and 16GB of RAM is on sale from Lenovo at $330 off, slashing its price to $1,000.

Claude AI catches up with ChatGPT by offering a new search tool

If you’re looking for a new search tool, Claude may help. The AI assistant now features a new web search tool that allows users to access current events and information to enhance their results. The new search feature provides direct citations, allowing you to verify sources easily. Furthermore, Claude organizes and presents relevant sources in […]