OnePlus doesn't like talking about the OnePlus 9's IP rating; here's why

Smartphone brands are usually quick to boast about new and existing features, but one thing OnePlus avoids talking about these days is water and dust resistance and now CEO Pete Lau has revealed why.

The OnePlus 9 has an IP rating but OnePlus doesn't like to talk about it

Speaking on his Weibo account (via Android Authority) earlier this week, Lau said that adding water and dust resistance to OnePlus smartphones, including the OnePlus 9 Pro, is “one of the few product advantages that we have done well but do not want to talk about.”

The reason is that an IP water and dust resistance certification is obtained inside a lab, where the testing conditions are “very different” to the real word environment in which devices are used on a day-to-day basis.

Lau went on to say that the IP rating is just a general description of quality, but what’s most important to OnePlus is the customer experience once the devices are in the users’ hands.

The CEO of OnePlus also reiterated the brand’s position (and the position of many others) that using smartphones underwater is not recommended. Even washing them under the tap is not advised.