HTC U (Ocean) to feature IP57 certification rating against dust and water

ROM developer @LlabTooFeR has a solid record when it comes to revealing features about HTC devices, In a series of three tweets disseminated today, he posted some interesting information about the manufacturer's upcoming flagship phone, the HTC U (codenamed Ocean). According to the developer, the phone will carry an IP certification rating of 57. That means users will be able to submerge the phone in water as deep as 3.3 feet for as long as 30-minutes, without any damage to the device. It also means that the phone is protected against solid bodies larger than 1mm in size.

Another bit of info passed along by @LabTooFeR has to do with the 3.5mm earphone jack that used to be standard equipment on a handset. HTC is following in the footsteps of manufacturers like Apple and Motorola and is dropping the earphone jack on the HTC U. The phone will also be offered in single SIM and dual SIM variants.

Over the weekend, the first image of the HTC U was released by tipster Evan Blass. Rumored specs include a 5.5-inch Super LCD display with a 1440 x 2560 resolution. The latest and greatest from Qualcomm, the Snapdragon 835 chipset, is powering the handset; we should find the unit equipped with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of native storage. Keeping the lights on is the job of the 4000mAh battery. A 12MP camera adorns the back of the HTC U with a 16MP selfie shooter in front. Android Nougat and HTC;s Sense 9 UI will both be pre-installed.

If the HTC U does indeed come to market with an IP57 certification rating, it will be as resistant to water as the Apple iPhone 7 and Apple iPhone 7 Plus are. Having such protection has been near the top of HTC buyers' wish lists in recent years.

source: @LlabTooFeR (1), (2), (3) via Droidholic