OnePlus still refuses to add this flagship feature on their 2019 smartphones

Dust and water resistance have become a standard feature in most flagship smartphones. You can find it on the iPhone XS, the Galaxy S10, the Huawei P30 Pro, the Xperia 1 and even the LG G8 ThinQ.

According to OnePlus’ latest video, it looks like they are still refusing to add IP-rated dust and water resistance on their latest OnePlus 7 and OnePlus 7 Pro.

In the short 30-second clip, OnePlus began by saying water resistance ratings for phones cost you money and things started to get interesting after that. The video then continued by saying “we bought something less expensive instead.” It showed a black bucket filled with water and then they dunked a phone into it.

At the bottom of the video, there’s a little footnote that says “Products not IP certified. Water resistant under optimal test conditions. OnePlus makes no guarantees regarding water/liquid resistance. Water/liquid damage not covered under product warranty.”

From the looks of it, the OnePlus 7 and OnePlus 7 Pro could feature some form of water resistance but they can’t provide any ratings or guarantees for it. Realistically, we expect the latest flagship duo to withstand accidental splashes, but for OnePlus to dunk their device into a bucket in the video gives the impression that it can survive being submerged for a short period of time.

For the OnePlus 7 Pro, we think the lack of water resistance isn’t so much about the cost but it is due to its motorised selfie camera design. The upcoming premium flagship will feature a full-screen display that lacks a notch and it will rely on a pop-up selfie camera mechanism to reveal its front camera. The design could make it challenging to add waterproofing elements which is why none of the new slider, pop-up selfie and foldable phones offer IP-rated water resistance.

Even if OnePlus wants to use cost as a reason, fans would probably accept it if their devices are still priced competitively like its earlier models. In the past few releases, OnePlus flagship smartphones have gone up drastically in price and the last model, the OnePlus 6T, was priced from RM2,588 for the base 6GB RAM + 128GB storage option and it goes up to RM3,188 for the 8GB RAM + 256GB storage version.

Apart from water resistance, the OnePlus flagships still don’t come with wireless charging and they also don’t offer stereo speakers. These small extras are something customers would expect if they are paying a premium for a smartphone.

Is IP68-rated dust and water resistance important to you? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

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