Is the Motorola One Vision Water Resistant?

by Alex Dickie
October 31, 2019
5 min read

Motorola has added a new member to its mid-range family, and this really is one to be excited about. The Motorola One Vision offers a whole host of features usually reserved for more premium priced handsets, but is the Motorola One Vision water resistant?

The Motorola One Vision comes with an IP52 rating for water resistance. This offers protection from vertical drops of water at an angle up to 15 degrees, but not full immersion. The device is also coated in Gorilla Glass which offers an extra layer of protection.

The Motorola One Vision is available from Clove Technology with 128GB of internal memory and 4GB of RAM for £269.99 inc-VAT

Motorola One Vision | £269.99 inc-VAT

What is an IP rating and is it important?

An IP rating is an international standard that is used to define levels of sealing effectiveness of electrical enclosures against intrusion from foreign bodies (such as dirt and dust) and moisture.

motorola one vision in Brown

An IP rating is presented in the form of ‘IP’ (Ingress Protection) followed by two numbers.

The first of these numbers refers to protection provided against solids. This number ranges from 1 to 6 and the higher the number the better the protection. For example, 1 promises protection against solid objects over 50mm, whilst a 6 rating indicates that a device is dust tight.

The second number then, refers to protection from liquids and ranges from 1 to 8. In this instance, a ‘1’ rating describes protection against vertically falling drops of water (such as rain), whilst a top-of-the-class ‘8’ rating promises protection against the effects of long periods of immersion under water, usually outlined by the manufacturer.

As such, an IP68 rating is currently the best certification that can be ascribed to a smartphone device, however it’s important to remember that the relevant testing is only performed on fresh water. As such, you may experience an extremely different outcome in the face of salt water and other liquids such as spilt drinks.

What does IP52 mean?

In line with Ingress Protection certifications, IP52 has two clear meanings for the Motorola One Vision.

The ‘5’ rating against dust and solids means that ingress of dust is not entirely prevented. Whilst this means that the Motorola One Vision is protected against contact with small particles, they must not enter in sufficient quantity as to interfere with the satisfactory operation of the equipment. In short, the Motorola One Vision has some protection against dust and complete protection against contact.

The ‘2’ rating against moisture, certifies protection against vertically dripping water when the enclosure is tilted at an angle of up to 15 degrees from its normal position.

This means that the Motorola One Vision does not come with guaranteed protection from immersion under water for any period of time or powerful jets and sprays of water. As such, whilst you should not encounter any problems using the device in rain, we wouldn’t advise taking it for a shower with you.

Motorola One Vision

What is Gorilla Glass, and does it help with water resistance?

As well as having an IP52 rating for water and dust resistance, the Motorola One Vision has a 4D sheet of Gorilla Glass draped across the device both back and front.

Gorilla Glass is a well-known brand, producing chemically strengthened glass that is designed to be thin and light so that it can be used on a range of handheld electronic devices, and importantly damage resistant. Indeed, in production, the glass is immersed in a proprietary, hot, potassium-salt, ion-exchange bath to gain its surface strength and crack-resistance.

Gorilla Glass undergoes testing for flexibility, scratch resistance and impact protection before mass production. From this, it’s claimed that Gorilla Glass is able to survive drops of up to 1.6 meters (or selfie height!) onto hard surfaces 80% of the time as well as 15 consecutive drops from 1 meter onto rough surfaces.

As such, whilst not being produced for water resistance, this essentially provides your smartphone device with a thin layer which is durable and resilient. When you think about it as an extra layer of protection to your Motorola One Vision, you get a rough idea of how this might work in the face of small drops of water such as light rain.

Are there any other ways to protect the Motorola One Vision from water?

Whilst the Motorola One Vision does come with a level of certified water resistance, there are a number of ways in which you can further protect your device from water.

The best of these is by purchasing a waterproof case for your device.

Motorola One Vision

The DiCAPac Action Universal Case is perfect for wet scenarios and provides all of the protection that you need to be more adventurous with your smartphone device in tandem. As well as coming with the highest grade JIS IPX8 waterproof rating, the window on the front is crystal clear so that you can easily see the screen on your phone and still use all of the features that you need.

Indeed, you are still able to make full use of the touchscreen whilst it’s in the case and also make calls. The case also protects against dust and other particles, as well as water.

Is the Motorola One Vision worth it?

The Motorola One Vision offers a new way to enjoy your favourite movies and programmes whilst on-the-go, with its CinemaVision Full HD+ display. This matches the aspect ratio of the cinema and a 1080 x 2520-pixel resolution at 411ppi means that colours are bright and vivid.

The Motorola One Vision is also the first Motorola device to feature a front O-shaped cutout for the selfie camera, maximising the display fully. This lends the One Vision an 85% screen-to-body ratio so you can fully enjoy photos, videos and app content.

The 48MP main lens, coupled with a 5MP depth sensor is exceptional and captures some amazing images. It benefits from AI and Quad Pixel technology, which delivers four times the low light sensitivity. There is also Optical Image Stabilisation and Night Vision so you snap great photos even in dimly lit rooms or on dark, cloudy days.

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