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Most modern flagship phones list their IP rating to give you an idea of just how good they should be at resisting dust and water damage. But the thing is… that number is kind of a fiction, because while companies have to test their phones before it can be certified as IP68 or whatever, those tests are run under very specific, controlled situations. And they're only true for a phone in factory condition.
Normal wear and tear take their toll on any phone, and small cracks or other damage can reduce water resistance… which is why most phone makers say that water damage is not covered under warranty even if a phone is rated IP68. They don't usually bother to tell you this when advertising the phones… but Google actually spelled it out in a promo image for the Pixel 10 Pro Fold smartphone that was announced today.
Here's a roundup of recent tech news from around the web.
Google acknowledges that an IP68 rated phone isn't actually "water or dust proof" because "water resistance and dust resistance are not permanent conditions and will diminish or be lost over time due to normal wear and tear." www.theverge.com/news/762773/…
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— Liliputing (@liliputing.bsky.social) August 20, 2025 at 3:38 PM
Google is bringing more AI features to Pixel apps including the ability to use Pixel Recorder to hum a tune and then generate music to match and a new Pixel Journal app that uses AI to give you personalized writing prompts. blog.google/products/pix…
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— Liliputing (@liliputing.bsky.social) August 20, 2025 at 1:51 PM
Qualcomm's new Snapdragon W5 gen 2 and W5+ Gen 2 chips bring support for satellite messaging to wearables including the new Google Pixel Watch 4 (with the W5 Gen 2 chip). www.qualcomm.com/news/release…
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— Liliputing (@liliputing.bsky.social) August 20, 2025 at 2:06 PM
Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra images and details leaked ahead of launch. Expect a 14.6 inch OLED display, MediaTek 9400 processor, 16GB of RAM, an 11,600 mAh battery, and Android 16 software. winfuture.de/news,153070….
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— Liliputing (@liliputing.bsky.social) August 20, 2025 at 3:30 PM
Microsoft releases a preview of Semantic file search to Windows Insiders with Copilot+ PCs. It will let you describe the thing you're looking for and attempt to surface matching files including docs and images. blogs.windows.com/windows-insi…
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— Liliputing (@liliputing.bsky.social) August 20, 2025 at 2:38 PM
Goodbye Google Assistant: Gemini for Home will replace Google's older voice assistant on Google Home smart home devices beginning with an early access program launching in October. www.theverge.com/news/762370/…
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— Liliputing (@liliputing.bsky.social) August 20, 2025 at 1:49 PM
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