Officially, the iPhone 7 is rated to IP67 which means the iPhone 7 is water resistant. Not waterproof (That’s IP68). We’ll elaborate on the difference below.
So do you need a waterproof case? It will depend on what you’re planning on using the iPhone 7 for.
In short, if you’re planning on doing stuff near or in an ocean and lake, we’d say yes. But on a day-to-day basis, if you’re sitting in an office, or working out at the gym or at the bar, you won’t. Well, unless you get crazy at the bar.
This is different than previous iPhone generations as a waterproof case was a good purchase for people who were worried about the accidental drop in water. We’ve been reviewing waterproof iPhone cases for several years now, starting with the iPhone 5’s. We’ve taken them into lakes and oceans, snorkelled and swam with them so we know the perils and joys of being able to use the iPhone as an underwater camera.
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From our perspective, the iPhone 7 with its IP67 rating will not be damaged in the accidental drop in the sink, tub or toilet. In fact, you could leave the device for 30 mins in the sink and technically it should be fine. Even a trip to a friend’s pool would be fine as devices rated to IP67 should be waterproof up to 1m.
If you want to do more, you’ll need IP68 which allows you to take a device to depths greater than 1m. If you’re taking your iPhone 7 deeper than 1m, you’ve moved beyond the occasional toilet drop and filming a cannon ball at the pool.
As a side note, both IP67 and IP68 ratings occur in laboratory conditions. Which isn’t a reflection of real life as a bunch of the side of the pool, followed by submersion in the pool is probably going to negate the IP67 rating.
However, the moment he decides to walk through a field or yard covered in snow, the boots are eventually going to get wet. If he wants to keep his feet completely dry, he’s going to need a pair of waterproof, winter boots. His Sorel’s do a great job of keeping water out during the spring thaw.
In this example, the IP67 rating is like the leather boots. It will keep water out most of the time but isn’t meant to be used extensively with water. The waterproof, winter boots would be IP68 which is what every waterproof case we’ve reviewed for the iPhone 7 is rated for.
For the iPhone 7, waterproof cases should be use only if you want to take your iPhone further than you normally would. Instead of thinking about the case as a day-to-day accessory, think about it as an add-on that allows you to use your iPhone in places you normally wouldn’t. For a full list of waterproof cases for the iPhone 7 that we’ve reviewed, check out our comparison tool.
Getting a slim case with a screen protector is probably the best thing you can do for your iPhone 7 if you’re not planning on doing anything crazy.
The last thing we will say is that even if the iPhone is fully waterproof at iP68, would you honestly take a naked iPhone into the ocean? Water and electronics don’t usually mix. Salt water and electronics definitely don’t mix but that’s just our opinion. A naked iPhone handles like a wet bar of soap on a normal day so we can’t imagine how we would keep it in our hands while snorkelling.
Have any questions for our “Do I really need a waterproof case for the iPhone 7?” post? Leave them below or ask them on our Google+ page or our Facebook page or our About Us page.
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