Rugged Cell Phones: IP and Glass Ratings Explained
You see all the impressive short codes ratings on adverts for rugged cell phones, but what do IP68 and IP69K mean? Why is the Corning® Gorilla® Glass 3 so impressive?
Read on to discover the answers to these and related questions you might have about rugged cell phones.
Why are many rugged cell phones fitted with Corning® Gorilla Glass 3?
It’s for extra protection and here’s why – the Corning® Gorilla® Glass 3 boasts extraordinary damage resistance and exceptional toughness. This is so before the application of chemical hardening. Superb resistance to deep scratches is the secret to protecting against glass breakage. The manufacturer claims up to four times the scratch resistance of similar aluminosilicate glass of that offered by competitors.
What does IP rating mean?
IP stands for Ingress Protection and refers to the level of protection against dust, solid particle, and fluid penetration of the tested equipment. Handsets like the Blackview BV6300 Pro types are IP68 and IP69 rated. These ratings bear testimony to the dust-proof and waterproof levels of the handsets.
How to read the IP rating
The first number in the rating refers to ingress protection against solid particles, including dust, tools, fingers, debris, and wires. The lowest rating is 0 while the highest is 6. Rugged cell phones with an IP rating of 68 thus have optimal protection against particle penetration. It means these handsets are as dust-proof as it gets. If the handset has a 5 rating, it means it has some dust protection as long as it’s not exposed to a high quantity at once. The ideal is to buy rugged smartphones with IP 6 ratings for dust-proof.
Dust particle sizes are specified for all the ratings between 0 and 5. If you work in an environment with super small dust particles, it’s best to keep the handset in an enclosed casing. For all other intended purposes, you have the assurance of a dust-proof handset.
The second number in the IP rating refers to liquid ingress protection. If the handset has a 0 rating, you know it has no protection. If the second number is 1, then the handset meets the test requirements for protection against dripping water. You can view the full IP rating system on IEC’s web page. Most outdoor mobile handsets have IP66, IP67, IP68 or IP69 ratings. This means the handsets are dust-proof and waterproof or resistance-tested to the specific level of 6,7, 8 or 9.
A rating of 6 means the handset has passed the test for water spray at 100 litres per minute, using 100 kPA pressure and from a nozzle measuring 12,5 mm where the spray has been performed for three minutes and from a distance of three metres. The 7 rating means the handset can handle water immersion up to a metre deep for 30 minutes at normal pressure. An 8 rating states the handset can be immersed in water at normal pressure for 30 minutes at a depth of a metre or deeper according to the manufacturer statement.
The IP69K rating denotes a handset with maximum dust-proof features and can be immersed in water deeper than a metre according to the depth specifications of the manufacturer. In addition, it has passed the test for protection against high-temperature, high-pressure and high-flow water exposure.
The test entails water pressure of 80-100 bar and temperature (water) at 80°C from a distance of 0,10 to 0,15 m. This is the ultimate rating.
If you work in a food processing plant, car-wash operation or are a firefighter then you’ll want to buy one of the IP69K rated Blackview rugged cell phones. See our special promotions here.