Review of the best according to the editorial board. On the selection criteria. This material is subjective and does not constitute advertising and does not serve as a purchase guide. Before buying, you need to consult with a specialist.
Drowning is one of the most common wearable breakdowns and the most difficult to repair. Often the 'drowned' ones cannot be repaired at all, or repairs are inexpedient in terms of cost. Recently, electronics manufacturers have begun to pay close attention not only to the electronics power of new series of smartphones and camera resolution, but also to protection from mechanical damage, dust and moisture. Our today's rating is dedicated to the five best models of waterproof smartphones, which experts have identified among the new products of different price categories of the most famous manufacturers.
Ranking of the best waterproof smartphones
| Nomination | a place | Name of product | price |
| Ranking of the best waterproof smartphones | 1 | Apple iPhone Xs Max 256GB | RUB 83 850 |
| 2 | Samsung Galaxy Note 9 128GB | RUB 47 330 | |
| 3 | Huawei P20 Pro | RUB 40,790 | |
| 4 | Caterpillar CAT S60 | RUB 34,200 | |
| 5 | LG G7 ThinQ 64GB | RUB 34,899 |
Apple iPhone Xs Max 256GB
Rating: 4.9
Let's start with a smartphone that is so special that it could be 'taken out of the brackets' and not considered on a par with other models. But we still cannot ignore it within the framework of the topic, since its water resistance causes genuine respect.
“Ten” received the highest possible level of dust and moisture protection – IP68, but in this case this level is also improved. The fact is that the number '8' means that the device can operate while being completely submerged in water to a depth of more than 1 meter for more than 30 minutes. Cupertinians promise that the extreme model iPhone is able to withstand a long dive to a depth of 2 meters. Numerous tests by professionals and enthusiasts in general confirm such capabilities of the 'apple' flagship.
Now let's briefly go through the main technical characteristics of the smartphone. Physical dimensions – 77.4×157.5×7.7 mm, net weight – 208 g. The diagonal of its screen is 6.5 inches, the matrix is OLED with a resolution of 2688×1242 and proportions of 19.5: 9. The pixel density per inch is 456.
The two main rear cameras have a resolution of 12 megapixels each and are equipped with an LED flash. The cameras are equipped with optical 2x zoom, stabilization and autofocus. The smartphone is capable of recording video with a resolution up to 3840×2160 with a frame rate of 60 per second.
The device supports operation on two SIM-cards of the nano SIM or eSIM standard. All the slightest bit current standards of GSM-communication are supported, including LTE and VoLTE of all possible ranges. Other wireless standards are Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC. There are GPS and GLONASS navigation modules.
All the hardware is controlled by a powerful processor Apple A12 Bionic, 256 GB of internal memory is installed. The battery is a non-removable lithium-ion battery that provides up to 25 hours of talk time or up to 65 hours of listening to audio. There are fast and wireless charging functions.
Advantages
- brand and premium class;
- speed of work;
- photo and video quality;
- stability and continuity;
- increased moisture protection.
disadvantages
- individual preferences.
Samsung Galaxy Note 9 128GB
Rating: 4.8
Let us consider the second number in the ranking 'ideological rival' iPhone, which is not much inferior to him, and in some qualities and functions is quite capable of competing with him. In terms of water resistance, it is still inferior to the tenth iPhone, although formally it belongs to the same highest class of dust and moisture protection IP68. At least the manufacturer does not promise that the device will work during prolonged immersion under water by 2 meters. But the gadget still fits into the highest category, and this is the main thing.
The Galaxy Note 9 was a bright new product in mid-2018. One of its distinguishing features is the presence of a stylus against the background of a total rejection of stylus by other smartphone manufacturers. This solution turned out to be unexpectedly successful from a marketing point of view – a lot of users appreciate and love this model precisely for the presence of a convenient manipulator.
Dimensions of a waterproof smartphone – 76.4×161.9×8.8 mm, net weight – 201 g. Screen size – 6.4 inches, matrix type – AMOLED, maximum resolution – 2960×1440 with 514 dots per inch. The screen surface is curved at the sides. The glass is resistant to abrasion and scratches.
Similar to the one described above iPhone, this model is equipped with a pair of rear cameras of 12 mPix each and an LED flash. Front camera resolution – 8 MPix. The options for the rear cameras are exactly the same, including 2x optical zoom. The waterproof smartphone shoots video in 3840×2160 quality at 60 frames per second.
The entire system is controlled by a processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 or Samsung Exynos 9810 depending on the region. Internal memory installed 128 GB. Supports two nano SIM cards. One slot can be used to read an external memory card up to 512 GB. Communication standards are almost exactly the same as the latter iPhone.
The autonomy of the smartphone is provided by a powerful 4000 mAh battery with support for fast and wireless charging. A full charge lasts approximately 29 hours of talk time or 59 hours of audio playback.
Advantages
- top flagship as of 2018-2019;
- two sim cards;
- powerful battery;
- the highest category of dust and water resistance IP68;
- impeccable image quality;
- stylus included.
disadvantages
- no systemic flaws were found, only individual nagging of a private nature.
Huawei P20 Pro
Rating: 4.7
Now in the ranking of the best waterproof smartphones, we will consider an interesting solution from Huawei. It is interesting at least because outwardly the smartphone is almost indistinguishable from the tenth iPhone, at a price significantly less than the Galaxy Note 9, and in terms of functionality it is not catastrophically inferior to both.
In terms of moisture protection, this smartphone is clearly weaker than the two previous examples, and this is confirmed by its class – IP67. This means that the device can survive without consequences only a short-term (up to half an hour) immersion in water to a depth of no more than 1 meter.
The dimensions of the device are 73.9x155x7.8 mm, the net weight is 180 g. Supports two SIM cards with alternating operation. Screen size – 6.1 inches, type – AMOLED, resolution – 2240×1080 with a density of 408 pixels per inch. The screen aspect ratio is 18.5: 9.
In this model, the main ones are as many as three rear cameras – 40, 20 and 8 megapixels, respectively. They are equipped with LED flash, each with autofocus. Front camera – 24 MPix.
The electronics are powered by the HiSilicon Kirin 970 processor on eight cores. RAM – 6 GB. GPU – Mali-G72 MP12. Built-in memory installed 128 GB. The battery in this model is of the same capacity and the same type as the two previous flagships – 4,000 mAh lithium-ion.
The waterproof smartphone supports all the most common communication standards from GSM 900 to LTE, contains radio modules for other types of wireless communication – Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and NFC. Supported navigation GPS, GLONASS and BeiDou. There are light sensors, gyroscope, Hall sensor, compass, fingerprint scanner.
Advantages
- rich functionality for a relatively affordable price;
- powerful 8-core processor;
- AMOLED – matrix;
- three main rear cameras;
- capacious battery, like the top flagships.
disadvantages
- individual user nagging.
Caterpillar CAT S60
Rating: 4.7
Next in our ranking comes something special. Our experts specifically included this model in the review in order to satisfy the interest of those users for whom the contact of a smartphone with water is not an emergency, but a completely ordinary situation. This is a smartphone that is produced by the same American company, which is known all over the world for its heavy trucks, bulldozers and other mining equipment.
The main specialization of the manufacturer has left a serious imprint on the form factor and appearance of the CAT S60 smartphone. This is a powerful, impressive device with maximum protection against external factors and appropriate dimensions. The smartphone is optimal for those who are involved in extreme sports, or whose work is associated with a high probability of getting wet, dropping or damaging the smartphone. The protection class is the highest here – IP68.
Dimensions of the device – 73.4×147.9×12.66 mm, net weight – 249 g. Supports two SIM cards with alternating mode of operation (nano SIM). The screen size is 4.7 inches, the matrix resolution is 1280×720 with a density of 312 dots per inch and 16: 9 proportions. The protective glass is abrasion and scratch resistant.
The resolution of the main rear camera is 12 mPix. The camera is equipped with a bright LED flash. The waterproof smartphone is capable of recording video in 1920×1080 resolution at 30 frames per second. Front camera resolution – 5 mPix.
As you can see, this model has no exorbitant values for the matrix resolution, as well as its type, as well as the quality of video recording. This is quite expected, since the efforts of the developers here were aimed at maximum mechanical protection. Numerous independent tests indicate that the manufacturer has managed to make a truly 'indestructible' device.
The electronics are controlled by the processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 617 MSM8952 on eight cores with a frequency of 1500 MHz. Video subsystem – Adreno 405. RAM – 3 GB, built-in – 32 GB. The capacity of the non-removable lithium-ion battery is 3800 mAh. A full charge lasts for 30 hours in talk mode, and 1032 hours in standby mode.
Advantages
- brand;
- increased protection against external factors;
- solid, impressive design;
- specialization for extreme conditions;
- high-quality thermal imager;
- stability, reliability and reliability.
disadvantages
- there is no official service in Russia.
LG G7 ThinQ 64GB
Rating: 4.6
Our rating is completed by the top model from LG, which, against the background of the above iPhone, can be safely considered a budget model. Here we also see the highest level of dust and moisture protection IP68. Independent testing suggests that, in general, the level of protection corresponds to the declared one, but is literally on the verge of the IP67 category.
The dimensions of the waterproof smartphone are 71.9×153.2×7.9 mm, the net weight is 163 g. The screen size is 6.1 inches, the resolution of the IPS matrix is 3120×1440 with a density of 563 pixels per inch and 19.5: 9 proportions.
The two main rear cameras have a resolution of 16 megapixels each, equipped with LED flash and autofocus. There is a macro mode. The front camera has a resolution of 8 megapixels.
This model supports dual nano SIM cards with alternating operation. Coverage of communication standards – from GSM 900 to VoLTE in the bands from 1 to 38. Wireless communication – Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, Wi-Fi 802.11ac and Wi-Fi Direct. Satellite navigation module – GPS only.
The center of electronics in this model is a powerful processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 on eight cores with a frequency of 2800 MHz. Video subsystem – Adreno 630. RAM – 4 GB, built-in – 64 GB. Supports external memory cards up to 2 TB. Autonomous operation is provided by a 3000 mAh battery.
Advantages
- wide functionality for a relatively affordable price;
- a high resolution;
- high-quality image of the IPS-matrix;
- Military Standard 810G protection.
disadvantages
- a noticeable percentage of users are not satisfied with the battery capacity.
Attention! This rating is subjective and does not constitute an advertisement and does not serve as a purchase guide. Before buying, you need to consult with a specialist.
