(published: 5/4/14)
So if any one reading this has seen or owned a Sony Xperia Z/Z1/Z2/Z ultra, or maybe a Samsung Galaxy S5 or S4 active, then you might have noticed that the mic. and speaker are completely exposed. Which is weird right? So all these phones are labeled as IP 57, IP 58, or maybe IP 67 certified. First it's important to understand that the I in IP stands for ingress which basically means an entrance. The P in IP stands for protections, so entrance protection or technically ingress protection. The goal here is to keep foreign particles like water or dust from getting inside the phone. It's really pretty simple, the first digit stands for how well the phone is resistant against solid objects like dust, and the second digit shows how resistant it is against fluids like water. There can also actually be a third digit which would show how resistant it is against mechanical impact, such as being thrown against the ground. Here you can see a chart of the first two ratings.
So now, to answer the question of how the phones are actually water-proof and why their mics. and speakers are open. The charging ports usually have a flap over them so the speaker and mic. (and sometimes headphone jacks) are really the only things that have to be open in order to use your phone. What companies do is put a special coating of a spray or substance that prevents water from getting through to your internal parts. If you've ever thrown a waterproof phone into a pool or washed it under the sink you would notice that the speaker gets kind of muffled and unclear. That's because some water gets stuck inside the speaker and it will usually take a few minutes up to a few hours to dry completely and return to normal.
There are also ways to make a smartphones like an iPhone waterproof through varies companies. For example there is a company called Liquipel that will take your smartphone, put it in a vacuum, then pump a secret fluid into the chamber with your phone. The vapor will spread to all the components of your smartphone and then successfully make your smartphone waterproof for only $60. This technology is called nano-coating. So hopefully you learned something new about the process and rating of waterproof and dust-proof phones and other electronics. I have links to a few articles were you can learn much of what I wrote in more depth.
Understanding IP ratings: link
Cools ways to waterproof you device: link
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