The iPhone has an IP68 rating, which allows you to submerge it underwater for half an hour – at a depth of up to 6 meters. Taking a shower with your iPhone should also work… right?
Showering with your iPhone
In the shower we rinse the bacteria off us, but the iPhone can also use a wash. The average smartphone is full of bacteria and about as unsanitary as a toilet seat.
So why not make your iPhone part of your shower ritual, since the device can withstand a few splashes of water? It was also the thinking of the Japanese voice actress Moeka Koizumi, who enjoyed the warm shower jets together with her iPhone. She soon regretted that.
Showers produce steam and high pressure particles, which are not counted in the water resistance rating. Steam can easily seep in and spread through the appliance. Especially if the iPhone has been dropped and damaged.
Own meme
The result: Moeka Koizumi faced just about every problem associated with steam or water damage. For example, the camera lenses were fogged up. Not only did this cause blurry photos, but Face ID also stopped working. An expensive joke, because water damage is not covered by the warranty.
The voice actress’s story inspired Twitter users to create memes in which different characters voiced by Koizumi do the same. The tweets are posted under the hashtag #iPhoneシャワー (Japanese for iPhone shower) and are currently trending in Japan. So Moeka Koizumi lost her iPhone, but was richer with a meme of her own.
How water resistant is my iPhone?
The iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 models have an IP68 rating. This makes them dust-free and immersion-proof and they can last for 30 minutes to a depth of 6 meters. The iPhone 7 and newer are also water resistant. They have an IP67 rating and can be submerged for half an hour at a depth of up to 1 meter.
Also read: Overview: These iPhones are water resistant or waterproof