OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei admits the importance of IP ratings to some extent.
OnePlus 7-Series Phone passes through a bucket challenge in the video teaser
Photo Credit: YouTube/ OnePlus
OnePlus 7 Pro and OnePlus 7 will have some level of water resistance -- but without any IP ratings, OnePlus has confirmed through a teaser video posted on social media. The new video comes just days ahead of the formal OnePlus 7 launch that is scheduled for May 14. The company already confirmed that it will bring the OnePlus 7 Pro as well as the vanilla OnePlus 7 at its forthcoming launch event. The new phones are designed to take on various flagship offerings, but most of them notably have a certain IP rating to ensure water resistance to some extent.
The latest 30-second teaser video by OnePlus, which has been posted on Twitter and YouTube, confirms water resistance on the OnePlus 7 Pro and OnePlus 7. However, the Chinese company explicitly mentioned the absence of any IP ratings.
"Waterproof ratings for phones cost you money. We bought something less expensive instead," the message in the teaser video reads.
The video also features a bucket in which one of the upcoming OnePlus handsets has been thrown to highlight its water resistance. But it is worth noting here that at around 21 seconds, a fine print confirms that the phone is water-resistant under optimal test conditions, and it's not covered under the standard warranty. This sounds similar to smartphones that do have IP ratings but their water resistance isn't covered under the warranty.
Having said that, the absence of an IP rating with the OnePlus 7 Pro and OnePlus 7 would make them less attractive for some customers since an IP-rated device passes various rigorous tests to gain the confidence of the users.
OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei in a forum post that has been published following the release of the teaser video admitted the importance of IP ratings to some extent.
"We know that an IP rating would be the simplest way to prove our phone's capability," he wrote in the forum post, "But the certification doesn't help us communicate our focus on your real experience, which is why we created this direct and relatable video to show you what our water-resistant quality can actually bring to you in your real life in a more powerful way."
Pei is somehow trying to assure customers that the OnePlus 7 Pro and OnePlus 7 would have water resistance. However, the mentioning of the fact that water or liquid damage isn't covered under product warranty makes the video teaser and Pei's forum post of little (or even no) use.
In a statement to Android Police, a OnePlus spokesperson even stated that IP ratings "are simply a classification" that isn't required to enable water resistance.
It is significant to note that this isn't the first time when OnePlus has decided to leave IP rating aside for its new phone. In fact, all the previous OnePlus models didn't come with any IP ratings, though the company does have a history of teasing water resistance on its phones just days before their launch to create some market hype.
As we mentioned, the OnePlus 7 Pro and OnePlus 7 are set to be launched globally on May 14. Amazon India has, in the meantime, already started taking pre-bookings for the OnePlus 7 Pro in the country along with a free screen replacement worth Rs. 15,000.
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