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A closer look at the iPhone 6s, 6s Plus' insides reveals they might be more water-resistant than you think

posted by Peter K. / Oct 01, 2015, 6:32 AM

A closer look at the iPhone 6s, 6s Plus' insides reveals they might be more water-resistant than you think

Come hell or high water, submerging your iPhone 6s or 6s Plus underwater will certainly cause you issues, be it misbehaving audio jack or a major hardware malfunction, perish the thought. Despite the several videos of the new iPhones spending a lot of time dunked in water and coming out "unscathed", we wouldn't recommend this endeavor since liquid damage is not covered by the standard one-year limited warranty or AppleCare. Don't try this at home!

It's written in stone that neither the iPhone 6s nor the 6s Plus feature water-resistance of any kind, but it seems that Cupertino might have taken some precautions to make sure that your shiny new iOS phone will be less prone to water damage. We already showed you iFixit's teardowns of both devices, and during the disassemblies, a peculiar adhesive strip around the lower parts of the devices' displays grasped iFixit's attention.

Although there is no hard-written proof, iFixit and sound logic both suggest that the purpose of said adhesive is to keep liquids out and not keep the display in place, since the latter is already secured with a number of screws. A closer inspection of the phones' insides showed that both feature a 0.3mm-thin gasket encompassing the whole internal perimeter, positioned on the lip of the frame that is seating the front panel. In order to accommodate it, the latter has grown 0.3mm in comparison with the older iPhone 6/6 Plus.

Additionally, it seems that the logic boards of the two new iPhones have had their water-repelling game upped by tiny silicone seals that shield each and every cables and connector on board on the logic board are shielded by silicone in order to prevent any water damage. Of course, these certainly won't warrant protection against the water element for prolonged periods of time.

Could all of this mean that Apple is gearing towards developing a fully watertight device? Why not! As a matter of fact, rumors about next year's iPhone 7 are already pouring in, and one of the more recent ones claims that Cupertino might be entertaining the idea of using a super-strong material that will effectively prevent any water to damage the insides of the device.

As usual, take this with a grain of salt. And once again - don't dunk your iPhone 6s or 6s Plus in water just because they have tiny gaskets and silicone seals inside!

iPhone 6s, 6s Plus teardown

source: iFixit

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8 Comments

1. carlemillward unregistered

Well considering HTC One M8 did well resisting water damage, this comes as no surprise, since they are similarly built.

posted on Oct 01, 2015, 6:40 AM 0

2. phonehome

Posts: 812; Member since: Dec 19, 2014

I always keep my iPhone 5S in a small ziplock bag when I am outside in the rain. That aside, I wonder how the speaker and mic are able to be properly sealed from water in actual waterproof proclaimed phones such as the GS5? I do keep mine (GS5 actually my primary phone) in a ziplock bag as well, but only with a heavy rain. And must say hope those doing these torture tests aren't wasting the extra money on 64 or 128gb iPhone models to do such.

posted on Oct 01, 2015, 7:13 AM 0

3. joevsyou

Posts: 1093; Member since: Feb 28, 2015

i hope you are not serious about the zip lock baggies. Rain isn't going bother any phone hardware, The screen might get a little confused because it's touch methods. the speakers on the s5 sounds a bit distorted if it receives a bath but once you give it a little bit of time, it drys and goes back to normal

posted on Oct 01, 2015, 7:38 AM 0

7. marorun

Posts: 5029; Member since: Mar 30, 2015

There is a way to make the hole so small for speaker grill thats water particle cannot go in unless there is a lots more pressure than just 1 meter of water. My Sonim XP7 i even used it in the sea and gone nearly 10-15 meter and no water problem and speaker work perfectly ( after making sure any water drop are not present inside the speaker grill ) But Sonim cover water damage in case its can still get in anyway so i dont feel any fear using it lol.

posted on Oct 01, 2015, 10:57 AM 0

4. phonehome

There is a thing called 'peace-of-mind'. Especially with an item that cost over $900 with tax (the 5S). Also why I keep it in a Defender case.

posted on Oct 01, 2015, 7:55 AM 0

5. jeroome86

Posts: 2314; Member since: Apr 12, 2012

Hands down a great device. Can't wait to get one. Good battery life and great specs.

posted on Oct 01, 2015, 9:06 AM 1

6. marorun

Apple care cover water damage in Canada so if its dont in USA then you guys get cheated!

posted on Oct 01, 2015, 10:51 AM 0

8. drtrigsman

Posts: 55; Member since: Mar 27, 2014

Waterproofing is so 2012. I don't understand why $1000 phones can't add IP rating. Ridiculous. I am willing to hold a few extra grams to not have to worry about TYPICAL NW weather. (I have lost several to RAIN).