Durability marketing is full of numbers that sound like guarantees and are not. Here is what each one actually certifies.

Reading an IP rating

IP68 is two separate scores. The first digit is solids, the second is liquids.

  • 6 (solids) — fully dust-tight. This is the maximum.
  • 8 (liquids) — survives continuous immersion beyond 1m, under conditions the manufacturer specifies. That last clause matters.

Critically, IP testing uses still, fresh water. It does not cover seawater, chlorinated pools, pressurised jets or hot showers — steam penetrates seals that stop liquid water. IP69K is the rating for high-pressure and high-temperature spray, and phones rarely carry it.

Water damage is also excluded from nearly every standard warranty, IP rating or not. The rating describes survivability in a lab, not a promise to replace your phone.

Seals age

The adhesive and gaskets that create an IP seal degrade with time, heat and drops. A three-year-old IP68 phone is not as water-resistant as it was new, and a phone that has been opened for repair usually is not sealed at all unless the gaskets were replaced.

Glass: scratches and cracks are different problems

Gorilla Glass Victus and similar are formulated primarily for drop resistance. Scratch resistance has improved much less, because the two properties trade off against each other.

This is why a phone survives a fall onto concrete and still picks up fine scratches in a pocket: sand contains quartz, which is harder than phone glass. Sapphire-coated or ceramic panels resist scratches better but tend to shatter more readily.

Frame material

Aluminium flexes and absorbs impact. Stainless steel and titanium are stiffer and transfer more shock to the glass. Plastic frames, often dismissed, absorb drops well — they simply feel less premium.

What actually helps

A case and a screen protector do more for real-world survival than any rating on the box. If you want a phone to last, that ₹800 is better spent than the price gap to the model with a marginally better glass generation.

IP ratings are listed on every device page under Body.