14 DAY TRIAL // Google is said to have killed the Nexus brand and preparing to introduce two new smartphones, called Pixel and Pixel XL. Previous rumors said the two new phones would be called Nexus Sailfish and Marlin, but it seems that Google has changed its mind.
There is some information available on the upcoming Pixel phones, but as the release date approaches, new details emerge. Android Police reveals that Google Pixel smartphones will come with IP53 certification.
This is different from the IP68 certification that we've seen on recent flagship smartphones, especially from Samsung. IP68 certification doesn't allow any ingress of dust and protects phones from continuous immersion in water under certain conditions.
IP53 certification, on the other hand, means the phones will be protected from water and dust, but only to some degree. It doesn't actually mean that users would be able to dunk their phones in water and that the devices would survive to tell the tale.
Pixel and Pixel XL phones will essentially be splash-proof
The first digit 5 indicates that Pixel phones will have some protection against dust, but ultimately only an IP6X rating would mean that the phone is completely sealed off from any dust intrusions. The second digit 3 means that the phone wouldn't get damaged from water splashes falling at a vertical angle of up to 60-degrees.
The phones would be splash-proof, but won't survive water submersions. Typically, Google phones don't really come with protection against dust and water, with the exception of Nexus 6, which was manufactured together with Motorola and released back in October 2014.
Considering that the new Pixel phones are made together with HTC and that the company already has an IP53-rated smartphone in the form of HTC 10, such certification on the upcoming devices shouldn't come as a big surprise. Obviously, IP68 certification would have been ideal, but any protection against water and dust on a smartphone is welcomed nonetheless.
Google is expected to unveil its Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones during an event to be hosted on October 4.