Over in Australia, the team at FoneFox have already been putting the Apple Watch through its paces underwater. Apple claims an IPX7 water-resistance rating for its device, which means it can withstand 1 meter of submersion for 30 minutes. However, companies often conservatively state the limits of waterproofness for legal reasons.
The team at FoneFox found this very much to be the case here. The Apple Watch Sport was first subjected to a light shower and then a full shower (including soap) to simulate normal use in a shower. After the Watch was wiped down, the screen was fully responsive and everything was working fine. Tim Cook has previously said he showers with his Watch.
In fact, the Apple Watch survived much more than a shower. Watch the full video after the break.
The team left the Watch submerged in a bucket for five minutes. Again, there was no damage incurred to the Watch. Taking it one step further, the video then shows the Apple Watch being left underwater in a swimming pool for about fifteen minutes.
The screen didn’t respond to touch input whilst it was in the pool, which is not surprising given the capacitive screen technology, but afterwards there was no visible damage. In fact, the Digital Crown still works underwater so you can zoom in and out of apps whilst swimming along.
Obviously, Apple only rates the Watch at IPX7 for a reason: it is not recommended to take the Watch swimming on a regular basis. However, it is good to know that the Watch is much more water-resistant than the publicized rating suggests. iPhones and iPads are infinitely more susceptible to water damage than Apple’s wearable is as neither have sealed designs.
