Waterproof phones: Chinese vs big brands

More and more high-end smartphones from renowned brands, such as Sony, Samsung and Motorola, are making headlines in the market. One Indian smartphone manufacturer is also touching that spot with its latest waterproofing technology, which they are using in their flagship handsets. These phones are sold at almost half the price of the well-known brands and are giving companies such as Sony a run for their money.

Well, what exactly is a waterproof phone? Brands such as Motorola and Sony have a few waterproof and dustproof phones already in the market. These phones sell under the certifications such as IP55, IP58, and alike. These certifications are given to phones that are capable of resisting water and dust when exposed to certain levels of water and dust. However, they are not waterproof, to be more specific.

The IP code is basically the Ingress Protection rating which is also known as International Protection rating. It classifies and rates the degree of protection provided by an enclosure against the dust, and water. Therefore, for a handset with an IPxx rating, it means that the chassis or the enclosure is basically watertight or dustproof to a certain level of exposure to water or dust.

So, for example, Sony manufactures certain handsets with IP55 and IP57 ratings, which means that only the chassis is watertight and dust resistant. If all the flaps are closed properly, the rear panel (if any) has the airtight gasket situated properly when closing it and the entire chassis’ gaskets are situated properly, subsequently the handset can be subjected to underwater depths and dust levels of certain degrees. If any of the gaskets and flaps are not intact or kept slightly opened, then the water or dust can enter from these openings or crevices and damage the internal components and electronics. Therefore, waterproof and watertight are not actually the same thing, even though they work on similar grounds.

Moving on, an Indian brand, Wickedleak seems to be one of the first (and presently the only) manufacturers to implement a different type of waterproofing technology for its flagship handsets. Wickedleak as adopted the super hydrophobic barrier method (named AquaProtect) for all its components on the handset, both inside and out.

To be more specific, they are coating each and every component, which includes the motherboard, display, speakers, battery, USB and headphone jacks, the buttons, the chassis and everything else (practically the entire phone) with the nano-technology based super hydrophobic solution. This solution coats the entire surface of every component with a transparent, liquid resisting layer, which is thinner than a human hair. The layer resists water entirely and prevents it from physically touching the electronic components. Dust has no chance either if liquids cannot reach that level. And by any liquid, they mean any liquid—water, sodas, tea, coffee, anything. This technology can enable the components to resist liquid and dust at regular water depths and can definitely resist for longer periods. Wickedleak has released two phones, which are protected by the AquaProtect technology—the Wammy Passion X (octa-core with full HD display) and the Wammy Titan 3 (octa-core with HD display). Both these phones are available below the Rs 17,000 price range and are less than half the price of the superior branded Sony, Motorola and Samsung.

The higher brands spend more money on quality products, which the budget Indian and Chinese smartphones don’t feature. These include better chipsets, high-quality camera sensors, superior touchscreen technology (which can still be used underwater), timely OS upgrades, after sales services, and a few other things. However, the smartphone market is patronized by a few too many today. Almost every individual wants to be hooked up to the web, be on the social network, send out emails and definitely be entertained by media while on the move. If budget smartphones can offer similar features for a fairly smaller price, the big guns will definitely have a run for their money. The huge price difference and almost similar processing power and features are the main merging ground for the two in the market, where the Chinese brands are overtaking the branded ones.

So which one will you choose? A phone generally lasts for around 12 to 18 months before you opt for an upgrade. Definitely, quality is what everyone prefers, but the cost for ‘this’ quality is ridiculously high. And the price for the same handset dips down by 20% – 30% within a matter of a few months, simply because a newer, better and “new improved” model has been released. If you are an elite enough to spend for a big brand, it’s your choice. However, the demand for a cheaper, yet high-end, smartphone will always keep the Chinese market sizzling with offers. Leave us your comments below.