Image via CNET

What you need to know

  • CNET has published a video testing the waterproofing of the iPhone 11 and 11 Pro.
  • CNET partnered with Sofar Ocean Technologies, and sent two iPhones into Monterey Bay attached to a drone.
  • They tested the iPhones at 4, 8 and 11 meters, with some suprising results.

CNET has published a video testing the waterproofing of the iPhone 11 and 11 Pro.

CNET teamed up with Sofar Ocean Technologies, using its Trident underwater drone to send an iPhone 11 and 11 Pro below the surface of the waters in Monterey Bay, California.

The iPhone 11 Pro and Pro max are rated up to 4 meters for 30 minutes, the iPhone 11 will survive at only half that depth, according to Apple's website:

iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max are splash, water, and dust resistant and were tested under controlled laboratory conditions; iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max have a rating of IP68 under IEC standard 60529 (maximum depth of 4 meters up to 30 minutes) and iPhone 11 has a rating of IP68 under IEC standard 60529 (maximum depth of 2 meters up to 30 minutes). Splash, water, and dust resistance are not permanent conditions and resistance might decrease as a result of normal wear.

With that in mind, CNET tested the new iPhones at 3 depths, 4, 8 and 12 meters with some pretty interesting results. At 4 meters for 30 minutes, both phones were fully functional, with working screens and no camera fogging. The only noticeable issue was the speaker, which sounded waterlogged for both devices, the iPhone 11 more so than the Pro.

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At 8 meters, the same story. Both phones came out of the water with working touch screens, working cameras and some speaker distortion.

The final test at 12 meters marks water exposure vastly beyond the advertised waterproofing rate. However, again both phones emerged unscathed save some muffled speaker performance. CNET even notes that 3 days later, both phones were still working perfectly and the speakers had cleared up a bit.

You can check out the full video over at CNET, but the results are pretty self explanatory. It seems safe to assume that Apple probably undersells on the water resistance of the iPhone 11 and 11 Pro, just to make sure its customers err on the side of caution. This video seems to prove that the iPhone 11 and 11 Pro are vastly more water resistant than advertised. But still, don't try this at home.