Stsplashes of water, sand, sunscreen… Our hi-tech gadgets during the vacation they are put to the test and things don’t change if our destination is the mountain where accidental falls – even into water – are always lurking. Luckily the technology not only is it more and more advanced, but it is also more resistant to our oversights or to the unforeseen events that can happen.
Waterproof or water resistant?
There are now many new generation hi-tech devices that are joined by IP67 certifications or similar, but what does it mean? Which are waterproof or only resistant to any splashes of water?
The IP (International Protection) code catalogs the degree of protection of mechanical enclosures and refers how much this is protected from the intrusion of solid particles and liquids. The IP code comes accompanied by two numbers (e.g. IP67 or IP68), the first number refers to resistance to dust, the second to liquids. Specifically, the resistance to dust can reach a maximum of 6, while that to liquids reaches up to 9.
This value is found reported in the specifications of each hi-tech device, therefore it will be enough to search on the official website of the manufacturer or in the instruction booklet. Once you have identified the degree of IP certification you can refer to Use this table to find out the degree of resistance to liquids of your device.
- 0 No protection
- 1 Protection against vertically falling drops of water
- 2 Protection from falling drops of water with a maximum inclination of 15°
- 3 Rain protection
- 4 Protection from direct splashes of water
- 5 Protection from direct water jets
- 6 Wave protection
- 7 Protection against temporary immersion in water (between 15cm and 1m depth for up to 30 minutes)
- 8 Protection against permanent immersion in water (over 1m continuous depth for up to one hour) – maximum immersion time varies from device to device.
- 9 Protection against permanent immersion in water and high pressure and high temperature water jets (more than 1m continuous depth) – maximum immersion time may vary.
If the device does not have any IP certification, you will need to be careful both of dust but, above all, of water. As far as smartphones are concerned – but also for some earphone models – there are still different ones colored covers of various shapes that make them ‘fall into water’ proof so as to be calm even on the beach or on board pool.
The most desired waterproof hi-tech gadgets
Second idealleading price comparator at European level, interest in waterproof technological gadgets has grown by 58% compared to last year. Among the most desired water resistant hi-tech products in Italy, in the first place there are smartphones raincoats; 92% of searches are linked to this type of product. They follow on the podium smartwatches and action cameras waterproof. Fourth place, albeit with a clear gap, for the memory cards.
The prices of these devices have not increased significantly; inflation has affected the sector, but in a limited way compared to others. Suffice it to say that waterproof smartphones cost on average only 2% more this year than last year, while smartwatches cost about 1% more. More affected, however, the photographic sector; waterproof compact cameras cost this year 22% more, while the prices of action cameras raincoats grew by 21%.
Protect hi-tech devices even from the heat
Water, sand, sunscreen, accidental falls are certainly the most common dangers in summer for our hi-tech devices, but the heat can also be a significant problem.
The high temperatures These phenomena are often underestimated, but they can cause serious damage to notebooks, USB sticks, cameras, smartphones and any other technological support. We should therefore try to avoid keeping them for long periods of time in the sun, protecting them and making sure they don’t get too hot. If this happens, their functions could be compromised and they could be irreparably damaged. After all, if it is true that the Sun kiss the beautiful, it is equally true that he is not so kind and gallant with our hi-tech gadgets, so it is better not to take unnecessary risks that could ruin our holidays.
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