One of the Xperia’s biggest selling points is the fact that it’s extremely waterproof, at least as far as smartphone go, and the new Xperia Z5 is no exception. The company has been advertising it as a waterproof device since it was first unveiled, even going so far as to include promo images of it being used underwater, but apparently this isn’t actually the case. The company recently mentioned that the Xperia Z5 isn’t actually as waterproof as was previously advertised and has wanted users not to submerge it. All of this was done quietly, of course, so that nobody would notice Sony backtracking.
Turns out, Sony’s “waterproof” Xperia devices might not be so waterproof after all. After talking up the waterproof capabilities of its Xperia devices for years — even running marketing campaigns showing people happily using its devices underwater — Sony now says that they should not be submerged. As XperiaBlog first reported, Sony recently revised its support page on water and dust protection to warn people against taking a swim with their gadgets. “Remember not to use the device underwater,” the site says. Keep in mind that the company’s most recent waterproof Xperias — including the Z5 and Z3+ smartphones and Z4 tablet — carry the highest possible Ingress Protection rating of IP68 for water resistance. That’s supposed to mean they’re “protected against the effects of continued immersion” in water at depths greater than 1 meter. But now, Sony is basically saying it can’t guarantee those results at home — just in its lab. “The IP rating of your device was achieved in laboratory conditions in standby mode, so you should not use the device underwater, such as taking pictures,” according to the support site.
