Is iPhone 6S Waterproof? Tests Reveal Some Water Resistance, But Apple Inc.'s Smartphones Not Impervious To Liquid

It's a fact of life with smartphones that they generally don’t mix with water. As many iPhone owners have discovered, that applies even to Apple products. But in some cases, the company’s latest smartphone -- the iPhone 6S – may be able to survive a trip into the drink, according to a test performed by YouTube user Zach Straley.

In a video published shortly after the smartphones' launch, Straley put the iPhone 6S and the 6S Plus to the test by submerging both devices in bowls of water for an hour. After shaking them off and letting them dry, he found that both phones continued to function normally.

A follow-up video posted two days after the test revealed both iPhones working almost perfectly, with the exception of a slight diagonal line running across the 6S screen. A test performed by Squaretrade yielded similar results.

While this test suggests underwater survivability, another test, performed by YouTube channel iDeviceHelp, showed the new smartphone isn’t immune to liquid damage. After being submerged in 4 feet of water, the phone had a damaged display and its flash turned on and off erratically before the device shut off completely.

Apple doesn’t officially say its iPhones are water-resistant, let alone waterproof. But in its recent models, the company has taken steps to make its flagship smartphone line at least more resistant to water damage by way of rubber gaskets, as spotted in the iPhone 6 last year.

Additionally, Apple filed a patent application in March, detailing a method for protecting the iPhone’s internal components with a hydrophobic coating that repels water. Exposed connector points would also be protected by silicone seals. But it’s not known whether Apple plans to use the patent in its devices.