Is the Sony Xperia 1 Water Resistant?

by Alex Dickie
October 31, 2019
4 min read

The Sony Xperia 1 is a media lovers dream; with a CinemaWide 4K HDR display and Dolby Atmos sound, watching movies is more immersive than ever before.

If you’re thinking about purchasing the Sony Xperia 1, then maybe one of your key considerations is whether the device offers any kind of water resistance.

The Sony Xperia 1 comes with an IP65/68 certification for water resistance. This means that it is protected from low-pressure water jet spray and from the effects of immersion in water at depths greater than 1 metre.

The Sony Xperia 1 will be shipping from Clove Technology for £849 inc-VAT.

Sony Xperia 1 | £849 inc-VAT

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What is an IP rating and what does this mean for the Sony Xperia 1?

An IP rating is an international standard used to define levels of sealing effectiveness of electrical enclosures against intrusion from foreign bodies (such as dirt and dust) and moisture.

These ratings are presented in the form of ‘IP’ (Ingress Protection) followed by two numbers; for example, IP65.

The first of these numbers refers to protection against solids and ranges from 1 to 6, with the higher the number, the better the protection. For example, ‘1’ indicates protection against solid objects over 50mm, whilst a ‘6’ rating indicates that a device is dust tight.

The second number refers to protection from liquids and ranges from 1 to 8. Again, the higher the number, the better the protection that the device is offered.

0 – no protection
1 – protected against dripping water
2 – protected against dripping water up to 15-degrees from the vertical
3 – protected against spraying water
4 – protected against splashing water
5 – protected against low-pressure water jet spray for at least 3 minutes
6 – protected against heavy jet spray for at least 3 minutes
7 – protected against the effects of immersion in up to 1 metre of water for 30 minutes
8 – protected against the effects of continued immersion in water at depths greater than 1 metre

Just because a device has been certified with a level 8 rating, this doesn’t actually mean that it has passed the required tests for the levels below it.

As such, when a device has an IP65/68 certification as the Sony Xperia 1 does, this means that it can withstand both a certain amount of spray as well as immersion under water.

Sony clearly state on their website that ‘all ports and attached covers should be firmly closed’, however when this is the case, you can splash water on the Xperia 1 with confidence and even clean it under a tap.

Is the Sony Xperia 1 is protected in all wet situations?

Despite having this IP65/68 certification, it’s important to remember that all relevant tests are performed using fresh water and as such, doesn’t consider many other common scenarios.

Salt water in particular can have a very different impact on mobile phones and can often be corrosive, damaging outer seals and circuit boards inside the device.

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Similarly, chlorinated water in swimming pools and spilled soft drinks also contain chemical substances that have not been accounted for whilst testing.

Liquid temperatures are also another factor to take into consideration, since very hot or very cold water will have a damaging effect and further.

That said, Sony do claim that if your Sony device is waterproof to IPX8 standard (as the Xperia 1 is), then you can use it within a chlorinated swimming pool, ‘however, avoid keeping the device in the pool for too long and remember to rinse it off thoroughly with fresh water once you get out’.

How durable is the Sony Xperia 1?

As well as coming with an IP certification to protect from water, the Sony Xperia 1 also meets MIL-STD-810G military standards.

These are a series of tests that were originally designed by the US military to test their equipment in a variety of harsh conditions.

To achieve this rating, devices such as the Sony Xperia 1 are tested against a number of elements, including; drop, vibration, wind and rain, sand and dust, extreme temperature, humidity and high altitude.

Alongside this, the Sony Xperia 1 is also draped in Gorilla Glass 6 front and back, a chemically strengthened glass that adds an extra layer of durability. During testing, Gorilla Glass 6 survived 15 consecutive drops from 1 meter onto rough surfaces on average.

As such, you shouldn’t have to worry too much about drops, knocks and scratches on your Sony Xperia 1.

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Is the Sony Xperia 1 worth it?

As well as coming with certified water resistance, the Sony Xperia 1 has an impressive 6-inch CinemaWide 4K HDR OLED display and Dolby Atmos sound; making it the perfect device for watching movies and other media playback.

Having a 21:9 CinemaWide aspect ratio means that you can view films in the way were meant to be enjoyed. The level of detail available on the worlds first 4K HDR OLED screen is astonishing, with a myriad of vibrant colours, improved contrast and clarity.

Alongside this, the Sony Xperia 1 utilises a triple-lens camera system comprised of three 12MP lenses to produce professional results. The Xperia 1 can also record 4K HDR movies with exceptional dynamic range and contrast, with true to life colour, even in backlit scenes or low light.

Ensuring that you can make full use of these outstanding features, the device also comes with a 3,330mAh battery, lasting you a day with ease. Plus, Smart Stamina predicts how long your power will last and adapts your energy usage to maximise your time.