OnePlus has plunged his new phone into the water, but says you should not do it

OnePlus today released a video presentation of its upcoming flagship phone falling in a bucket of water. "The water resistance notes of the phones cost you money," reads the text that appears on the screen. Instead, we bought something cheaper. The spot clearly implies that the OnePlus 7 Pro will have a certain level of water resistance, even though the company has not yet passed the official IP certification process.

Pause the video for the last few moments and note the fine print at the bottom: "Resistant to water under optimal test conditions. OnePlus gives no guarantee as to the resistance to water / liquids. And just like other smartphone makers (even those who make IP67 or IP68 certified), OnePlus notes that water damage is not covered by the standard warranty.

Picture: WinFuture

What was supposed to spark enthusiasm for the latest OnePlus device has rather troubled some of the company's fans, who point to the rising cost of OnePlus phones each year as reason enough to seek out the appropriate certification, such as Samsung, Apple, LG, Google . To avoid any other tumult, Carl Pei, co-founder of OnePlus, posted an article on his blog about the video.

"We know that an IP rating would be the easiest way to prove the capability of our phone, but the certification does not help us to communicate our focus on your actual experience. That's why we created this direct and relatable video to show you what our water represents. – Resilient quality can actually bring you into your real life in a more powerful way, "Pei wrote, claiming that OnePlus" has never stopped improving its design and passing tests to make sure that you can finally enjoy our water-resistant quality. "It is true that there are many YouTube videos of the old surviving OnePlus phones with no immediate problems.

However, Pei ends his message with a word of caution, noting that OnePlus does not necessarily want customers to recreate his "beautifully made" video. "It's not a big challenge, and we certainly do not want you all trying to drop your OnePlus 7 Pro into a bucket. And, just like other brands of smartphones that classify their devices in IP mode, our warranty does not cover water damage. "

This sounds like a non-forced marketing error on the part of OnePlus. To spend an additional year without a water resistance certification would be disappointing, but that only highlights the omission. And with the OnePlus 7 Pro that would cost more than $ 700, it is understandable that the company is a little annoyed by the fact that it now ignores the cost of business that its competitors accept. Especially when you take into account that OnePlus continues to omit wireless charging on its phones.

Is an IP classification essential? Not necessarily. An IP67 degree of protection simply means that your phone will survive after being immersed in fresh water for 30 minutes at depths of up to 3.3 feet (1 meter). IP68 means you can go a step further, but nothing guarantees real scenarios that could involve salt water, beer, coffee, soda or even your toilet. This does not prevent companies from advertising as if it were invincible for your phone. This Apple AC / DC ad for the iPhone 7 is still torn. Does it set realistic expectations for water resistance? Not at all.

In the end, evaluation is a matter of peace of mind. You will probably be safe in an unexpected downpour or when someone will take a drink from your phone in his drink. OnePlus suggests here that the OnePlus 7 Pro will have a certain level of water resistance, but if you wonder what crosses the line, your estimate is as good as mine.

The OnePlus 7 Pro should be officially unveiled on May 14th. But maybe all this will be solved when the OnePlus 7T Pro is available. "It does not mean that we will never consider the IP classification of our products by intellectual property," wrote Pei about the video.