One of the first questions people seem to Google when a new phone launches is whether or not said phone is waterproof. So, is the Samsung Galaxy S21 waterproof? Let’s find out! 

The Samsung Galaxy S21 range is OFFICIAL. But is it waterproof? And if so, how waterproof?

The answer is, yes, well… kind of — here’s what you need to know.

What IP Rating Does The Samsung Galaxy S21 Have?

The Samsung Galaxy S21 has an IP68 rating; where, IP stands for “ingress protection” and by ingress, it means protection from stopping small particles and water getting inside the phone’s important bits and breaking them.

With an IP68 rating, you’re basically covered for submersion in water, water that is around 1.5 meters deep, for around 30 minutes. Any deeper or longer can result in the phone breaking, so as always it is best to NOT get your phone wet, even though it’d probably be fine.

The Samsung Galaxy S21 is Waterproof

The Galaxy S21 has its IP68 rating, and so too does the Galaxy S21+ and Galaxy S21 Ultra. But Samsung’s cheaper phones, like the Samsung Galaxy A51, are not IP rated and, officially, are not classed as waterproof.

However, as you can see here, the Samsung Galaxy A51 is actually waterproof.

Again, you don’t want to mess around with water and your phone too much, it is still a piece of electronic technology after all. And in the case of the Galaxy S21 (or S21+ and S21 Ultra), a very expensive one at that.

Still, if the worst does happen, and you drop your Galaxy S21 in the pool or the ocean, it will be fine. Hell, with an IP68 rating on it, you could even use it to take underwater pictures, so long as you’re not going too deep.

My advice, as always, however, is to treat your phone like it isn’t waterproof even when it is. I learned this the hard way with an iPhone XS Max a couple of years back. I got it ever-so-slightly wet and it fogged up the FACE ID camera and basically ruined the phone.

Don’t be like me. Don’t assume just because your phone has an IP rating you can do whatever you want with it. If you’re going to spend a ton of money on a phone, even if it is waterproof, I would always do my best to keep it as far away from water as possible.