Will the Samsung Galaxy S26 be waterproof?
Best answer: The Samsung Galaxy S26 family will certainly feature some level of water and dust resistance, likely IP68, as Samsung phones have sported for years. It's unlikely Samsung will upgrade these to IP69, though.
While companies like Honor and OnePlus have started upgrading their latest flagship phones to IP69, it's unlikely that Samsung will be making the move any time soon. To date, no rumors or leaks point to Samsung adding IP69 resistance to the Galaxy S26 family.
Waterproof vs water-resistant
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IP68 and IP69 ratings are tricky. In an IP rating, the first number covers dust resistance, while the second number covers water resistance. Phones like the OnePlus 13 and Honor Magic 7 Pro are both IP68 and IP69 rated because these ratings cover two different things:
- IP6X: Complete protection against dust ingress. In other words, Dustproof.
- IPX8: Protection against continuous immersion in non-salt water beyond 1 meter. Water-resistant, not waterproof.
- IPX9: Protection against high-pressure, high-temperature water jets.
- Water-resistant, not waterproof.
Put these together and you get a phone that's completely dustproof but still only water-resistant. A phone like the OnePlus 13 or Honor Magic 7 Pro can withstand a kitchen nightmare, but it's not 100% guaranteed to be waterproof in the event of deep or prolonged submersion.
These phones aren't built to stay in water any deeper or longer than what Samsung offers on its phones, and it seems Samsung has decided that most users aren't going to put their phones in a dishwasher to clean them, so the additional IP69 rating isn't worth the hassle.
In summary, no, the Galaxy S26 family will not be waterproof, but they will almost certainly be IP69 water and dust-resistant.
