Turns out, Sony's "waterproof" Xperia devices might not be so waterproof after all.
After talking up the waterproof capabilities of its Xperia devices for years — even running marketing campaigns showing people happily using its devices underwater — Sony now says that they should not be submerged. As XperiaBlog first reported, Sony recently revised its support page on water and dust protection to warn people against taking a swim with their gadgets.
"Remember not to use the device underwater," the site says.
Keep in mind that the company's most recent waterproof Xperias — including the Z5 and Z3+ smartphones and Z4 tablet — carry the highest possible Ingress Protection rating of IP68 for water resistance. That's supposed to mean they're "protected against the effects of continued immersion" in water at depths greater than 1 meter.
But now, Sony is basically saying it can't guarantee those results at home — just in its lab. "The IP rating of your device was achieved in laboratory conditions in standby mode, so you should not use the device underwater, such as taking pictures," according to the support site.
Here's what Sony says about how it conducted the tests: "Sony devices that are tested for their waterproof abilities are placed gently inside a container filled with tap water and lowered to a depth of 1.5 metres," the support site reads. "After 30 minutes in the container, the device is gently taken out and its functions and features are tested."
In a statement to XperiaBlog, a Sony Mobile support rep suggested that the company doesn't know whether the devices will still be waterproof when you're moving them around underwater.
"Moving or operating the device while it is submerged is not tested during the laboratory tests," the spokesperson said. "There are also many environmental factors which we could not assess (e.g. water movement or water pressure changes during the movement), if a device is used underwater. Therefore we recommend not submerge our Xperia Z5 in water."
Instead, the phones should stand up to dripping or spraying water, a splash, or a jet spray for several minutes.
In contrast, take a look back at Sony's 2014 promotional video for the Xperia Z3.