You've seen the codes before: iPhone 7/8/X is rated IP67. Samsung Galaxy S8 is IP68. The marketing speak usually then tells you something about being "waterproof," but that's not always the case, and certainly not the entire story. Here's what you need to know when you see those ratings on a product.

In this case, IP doesn't stand for Internet Protocol; it's short for "Ingress Protection" or in some settings "International Protection Marking." The latter comes up because the whole thing is an international standard created by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), under the standard 60529. This is all a very big deal in Asia and Europe, and obviously their IP standard has gained a lot of traction in the US as well. The whole goal is to get away from saying words like "water-resistant" or "dust-proof" by providing numbers with clear definitions, even if they tend to be clear as mud to the uninitiated.

Not everyone with water- and dust-tight rugged products uses this standard, either. GoPro is a notable exception, but you can generally count on those cameras to take a beating.

Ingress means "to enter," so Ingress Protection is protection against things entering a product's enclosure—specifically in this case, solids (aka "dust;" that's the first number) and water (the second number). So a rating of IP67 means it's a 6 against dust, and a 7 against water. There is also an option for a third number to measure impact resistance.

But it's not very cut and dried. Solids, for instance, are measured on a scale of 0 to 6, where 6 is the best shielding you can get. Water, however, is measured 0 to 9. That's why something that is listed as IP67 can say "dust-tight" but only "water-resistant." (None of the ratings are fond of using the word "proof" because nothing ever is foolproofed in the long run.)

Here's a breakdown of the ratings.

Solids (Dust/Dirt)

Water

It's important to remember, these are all laboratory conditions. They are not real-world tests. While they sound daunting for your beloved device, they're not the same as what you'll encounter. They don't take things like being in a wet pocket, or taking pictures underwater during a long swim, or the presence of salt water, or a highly chlorinated pool into account.

In other words, just because it has a good IP rating, doesn't mean you should push it, especially with the water. (And notice no manufacturer rates smartphones on impact resistance; they know they'd look bad.)

So, to recap on the ratings you are most likely to see on electronics these days:

• IP6X: Dust-safe but not tested for water protection.
• IP65: Dust-protected, but for water it's only resistant. You could probably talk in the rain for a while, but it's toast if you take it in the pool, lake, or ocean. Devices include: Dell Latitude 7212 Rugged Tablet, Canary Flex camera, Netgear Arlo Go camera, and Getac V110-G3 laptop.
• IP66: Don't worry about the dust, and you may also be okay if sprayed with a hose while you're on the phone. But again, immersion in water is a no-no. Devices include: Nest Cam IQ Outdoor, G-technology G-Drive ev ATC with Thunderbolt, and Kicker Bullfrog speaker.
• IP67: This device never has to worry about dust, and can go underwater up to 1 meter for half an hour (but better to keep it at just a few minutes or seconds). It cannot handle jets, not even in a hot tub. (Not to mention, it's not rated for high temperatures.) Devices include: iPhone 7 on up; Whistle 3 dog GPS/fitness tracker, Fitbit Flyer earphones, Altec Lansing Mini Life Jacket speaker, and Soundcast VG1 speaker.
• IP68: Same as the IP67 except it can probably stand the pressure of going just a few feet deeper in the water. Devices include: Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8 Active, Samsung Galaxy S7 Active, LG G6, Sony Xperia XZ Premium, Motorola Moto Z2, Kyocera DuraForce Pro, Caterpiller CAT S60, LifeProof FRE Case, Huawei Watch 2, Exogear Ecocarbon speaker, Adata SE730 Exernal Solid State Drive.

What About Durability?

No one in the US is using the IEC-IP standard for durability on consumer electronics. But some have found a way to trumpet their ruggedness. (Ruggedized, by the way, is just a marketing term.)

The Military Standard, aka MIL-STD, or better yet, MIL-SPEC, is how the US Department of Defense measures things so it can get a baseline standard for equipment. The one that most pertains to consumer electronics—because many manufacturers like to brag that their products are up to military standards—is MIL-SPEC-810G, which specifically tests for the longevity of a device under adverse environmental conditions.

Products with MIL-SPEC-810G certification are tested against all sorts of things: temperature extremes, shocks, drops, taking a bullet, freezing/thawing, acid, fungus, even if it the device could start a fire around flammable gas. However, the settings for each of these isn't necessarily standardized...which is a problem for a standard. For example, a device might be tested for freezing at 0 degrees Celsius by one company; others might go higher or lower in tests.

Devices with the MIL-SPEC-810G testing include: LG G6 (which is also IP68), Kyocera DuraForce Pro (also IP68), Acer Predator 21 X Curved Gaming Laptop, LG V20, ASUS Chromebook Flip C213SA, Panasonic Toughbook 33, Xplore XSlate R12 tablet, Samsung Gear S3 watch, Huawei Watch 2, Exogear Ecocarbon speaker, all Lenovo ThinkPads like the X260 and X270, HP EliteBook 1040 G3 and HP EliteBook x360, and the Kyocera Torque X01 feature phone—the first phone to pass 18 testing categories.

Don't Drop It

Even if you do have a device with a good IP rating or a MIL-SPEC certification, the manufacturer almost always states something in the fine print indemnifying it from any fault damage, especially from water. The warranty just won't cover it. After all, seals can fail—especially if exposed to things like salt water or chlorine. The company line will typically be something like "water resistance isn't a permanent condition" (that's Apple's line on the Apple Watch).

And never, ever charge your device if it's still wet. That's going to kill it fast.

In all cases, just because a product is rated well doesn't really mean you should go using it underwater, in sandstorms, or start dropping it off buildings, David Letterman-style. The electronics just aren't there. Yet.