Without moving towards rugged devices, consumers are looking for robust smartphones. The protection indices, often noted as IP (for Ingress Protection), are there to reassure you about the solidity of a smartphone. The best models generally feature an IP68 rating which means they resist the intrusion of solid foreign bodies (such as dust) and liquids such as water. Realme is preparing to go even further with the Realme GT 7 Pro, a smartphone expected before the end of 2024 with IP69 certification. The information comes to us from the leaker Digital Chat Station, whose comments are reported by 91Mobiles.
The latter already mentions the future flagship model of the Chinese manufacturer and suggests the presence of the IP69 index. This certification is not completely new, but it most often concerns so-called “rugged” smartphones like the Nokia XR21, the Cat S75 or models from Blackview (but not the Hero 10 tested in our columns). All these devices have more precisely an IP69K certification, in addition to being compliant with the IP68 standard, but they are mainly intended for professionals. On consumer models, the mention “IP69” is less common even if Vivo mentioned it on its X100 Pro. The brand’s official website, however, simply mentions an IP68 rating.
Being classified IP69, what does that change?
As a reminder, an index is made up of numbers and the first (0 to 6) refers to the level of protection against solid objects. In the case of an IP68 or IP69 device, this means that it offers total protection against dust.
The second digit (0-9) indicates the level of protection against liquid, and the “9” provides protection against high-pressure, high-temperature water jets. For comparison, an IP68 model offers protection against prolonged immersion in water beyond 1 meter for 30 minutes. Note that the conditions, exact depth and duration, can vary depending on the manufacturer and model, as is the case with Apple. The new iPhones (including the iPhone 15 and 15 Pro) have an IP68 rating and are resistant to a maximum depth of 6 meters for up to 30 minutes. Also certified IP68, an iPhone 11 Pro/Pro Max claims a maximum depth of 4 meters.
The IP69 certification promises to be a plus for certain users, wanting to have a smartphone capable of withstanding jets of water under high pressure and high temperature. However, it does not replace the IP68 certification which undoubtedly remains the most interesting since it provides protection against prolonged immersion in water. We can expect future high-end consumer smartphones to claim dual IP68/IP69 certification.
Relame GT 7 Pro: A Potential High-End Outsider
The Realme GT 7 Pro could become one of the first to highlight this feature. This smartphone would offer a curved 1.5K screen (probably AMOLED) and would be one of the first to feature the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4. On the back, we would find a triple camera including a Sony IMX882 telephoto lens with a 3x optical zoom. The rest of the configuration would include 16 GB of RAM and 1 TB of storage, with surely several variants. Back in France for a few months, Realme could launch this promising smartphone in our countries.
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