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The best waterproof phones in 2021.
4. Though it’s nearly two years old, the OnePlus 7T remains available through the phone maker’s online store, where you can get it for the bargain price of $399. The best Android phones at every price range The best iPhones you can buy today. Thankfully, just like all of Samsung’s other premium Galaxy devices (as well as the cheaper, $999 Galaxy Note 20) the Note 20 Ultra is rated IP68 water resistant, built to handle submersion in up to 5 feet (1.5 meters) of water for a maximum of 30 minutes.
Regardless, this is a great phone and it’s hundreds less than other flagships. We take the same approach to finding the best OnePlus phones as we do any smartphone we review. And many of the top smartphones available right now feature some degree of water resistance.
To that end, we’d normally expect a OnePlus 9T in October since the OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 9 Pro shipped in March. As a result it also costs a little more than the OnePlus 8, even with a price cut to refelct that there are newer OnePlus handsets available. Many of the Pro model’s features, for less.
Even though you won’t get the 65W wired charging introduced with the OnePlus 8T, 30W charging is nothing to sneeze at. Reasons to avoid. 7. On the cheaper side, unfortunately most models from Motorola, Nokia and even OnePlus (to a certain extent) tend to skip true water resistance in favor of water repellence through the application of a nano-coating. Specifications. Reasons to buy.
For many of the top features in the Galaxy S21 lineup, but for less, turn to the Samsung Galaxy S21. What to look for in a OnePlus phone. 7. The best waterproof phone for Android fans.
But this OnePlus offering has more impressive features than its midrange price tag would suggest. The best OnePlus phones prove that there’s choice beyond the Apple-Samsung duopoly when it comes to picking a new smartphone. The OnePlus Nord N200 5G can be used as an example of how U.S. users are getting short-changed with the Nord lineup. The OnePlus 8T came out after the OnePlus 8 and boasts some more impressive specs in some regards.
The main reason to consider the OnePlus 7T at this point is to get a premium phone for less than $400. Every device on this list — and, indeed, every smartphone you can buy today that is considered water resistant — has some IP rating attached to it, that conveys a degree of ingress protection. The more expensive OnePlus flagships usually cost $700 and up and pack in the best features OnePlus has to offer. The best OnePlus phone value available in the U.S. is the OnePlus Nord N10 5G, which boasts superior specs to the newer OnePlus Nord N200 5G.
To help alleviate the confusion, we’ve ranked the best OnePlus phones that the company still says and that we’ve reviewed. Reasons to buy. Its larger display and longer battery life may be the only differences, but they’re enough to make it the ultimate iPhone experience you can get right now. What makes that especially impressive is that the Note 20 Ultra contains a massive hole in it just to keep the S Pen stashed away, and ordinarily you’d expect that to present a weak point against water damage.
Reasons to buy. Reasons to avoid. However, recently, a leaker claimed the OnePlus 9T had been cancelled — we’re not sure how much weight to put in that claim, but it’s worth watching as we get closer to the 9T’s potential release date this fall. An older OnePlus phone still worth getting. Specifications.
Reasons to buy. With an IP68 water/dust resistance rating, Apple promises all its new phones, including the iPhone 13 Pro, iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini, will withstand submersion in 6 metres (about 20 feet) of water for up to 30 minutes. It was the first OnePlus phone to offer 65W wired charging, for example, and it’s got a display with a 120Hz refresh rate, not just 90Hz. Of course, even the best waterproof phones are completely immune to water damage.
That’s better than most smartphone which top out at 60Hz, so expect smoother scrolling from the Nord 2. The OnePlus 9 Pro is the new kid on the block and it’s really quite impressive. The best option among these older devices is the OnePlus 8, which features very good battery life and fast charging. In other parts of the world, the OnePlus Nord 2 is available, and it’s the best budget OnePlus phone. We also run a real-world video transcoding test on each phone using the Adobe Premiere Rush app and time the result.
The ultimate big-screen, water-resistant phablet. Google Pixel 6. The best of the bunch is the OnePlus 8, especially with OnePlus cutting its price by $250 now that there are newer models available. Reasons to avoid.
This 5G phone isn’t available in the U.S., though U.K. shoppers can pick it up for £399 (roughly $550). OnePlus pulls off this feat by cramming as many premium features into its phones as possible, while still offering devices that cost less than comparable phones from Apple and Samsung. Reasons to buy.
Reasons to avoid. Finally, to test cameras, we take the best OnePlus phones out into the field and shoot photos of landscapes, portraits, night images and other shots. OnePlus only started up the Nord lineup last year, so its release schedule is a little hard to determine at the moment.
These impressive waterproof credentials are joined by the best phone cameras and performance of any phone we’ve tested, a fantastic new 120Hz display and improved battery life. There are things to like about the OnePlus Nord N200 5G, most notably that it gives you 5G connectivity in a device that costs less than $300. But even though the latter phone may be newer, the N10 boasts a more powerful processor, more storage and faster charging. Both the OnePlus 9 Pro and the OnePlus 9 — a cheaper alternative — have much improved cameras over previous OnePlus phones and offer 65W charging.
8. OnePlus 9 Pro. The phone starts at $799, yet features an adaptive display and Snapdragon 888 system-on-chip, just like other, more expensive S21 options. Samsung’s least expensive water-resistant S21 model. OnePlus 8T. How we test smartphones.
We hope to see water-resistance on a phone that’s more than likely to run well over $1,000, but the jury is still out on that one. OnePlus Nord N200 5G. We run benchmarks on every phone — Geekbench 5 to measure overall performance and 3DMark Wild Life to test graphics performance.
You’ll also find two telephoto lenses on the back of the Galaxy S21 Ultra to help you capture more detail when you zoom in on a shot. The OnePlus 9 has just about everything you could want in the best OnePlus phones, but for $240 less than what you’d pay for a OnePlus 9 Pro. Also, it’s important to point out that an IP rating does not mean water damage within the specified parameters is covered under your device’s warranty.
Specifications. Just as you’d hope from a phone as luxurious as the iPhone 13 Pro Max, it promises to keep your phone dry. That should be plenty of time to retrieve your phone if you’ve dropped it. When it comes to performance, we rely on such synthetic benchmarks as Geekbench 5 and GFXBench to measure graphics performance. One of the best Android phones around, the OnePlus 9 Pro is also the best handset you can get from OnePlus.
The OnePlus 9 Pro is the best OnePlus phone currently available, thanks to a display that adjusts its refresh rate based on your current activity. Still, with the OnePlus 8T, you can save a little money off of OnePlus’ current flagships while still enjoying a phone with fast wired charging and an immersive display. Top water-resistance for less.
In order for a smartphone to make any one of our lists of the best phones, it needs to excel on several tests that we run on every handset. His work has also appeared on Digital Trends and GTPlanet. If you’re looking for the best Android camera experience, then the Pixel 6 Pro is for you. In short, for Android fans, this is the best waterproof phone to buy, not just because of https://jiji.co.rw/17-led-tvs its IP68 rating, but because of all the other things the Galaxy S21 Ultra can do.
We compare those shots to similar images captured by phones with comparable specs and prices. The best waterproof phones in 2021. An excellent all-around water-resistant Android flagship. In recent years, the cost of OnePlus flagships has crept up, so OnePlus pivoted, introducing the budget Nord lineup, which still manages to pack a few top features into inexpensive handsets.
It’s also capable of lasting for half an hour under 20 feet of water, and like last year’s iPhone 12 series, it makes use of a Ceramic Shield display that should prevent screen damage if the phone gets dropped on solid ground instead of in water. That means submersion protection in more than 1 meter of water — the official depth can vary from phone to phone. And because it repurposes the iPhone 8’s design, it also benefits from the iPhone 8’s water resistance. Reasons to avoid. The best OnePlus phone for U.S. shoppers on a budget.
Whether its the latest models or holdovers from a previous year, there’s a OnePlus phone that will fit your needs. An old OnePlus phone with limited appeal. What are the best OnePlus phones right now? Reasons to avoid. The 6.7-inch screen is gorgeous and a dynamically adjusting refresh rate can make activities like scrolling buttery smooth.
In fact, the N200 may be one of the cheapest 5G phones currently available. Reasons to avoid. With the pending Galaxy Z Fold 3 announcement, all eyes will be on Samsung’s latest foldable phone. The best waterproof phones can survive a dunk in the water, like a pool or bathtub, with nary a problem. The least expensive 5G phone from OnePlus.
We perform some of these tests in our labs and some in the real world. For real-world testing, we use Adobe Premier Rush to transcode a video, timing how long it takes. The most affordable water-resistant phone.
The 6.8-inch AMOLED screen offers a dynamic refresh rate that adjusts depending on what you’re doing — scrolling through web pages might max out the refresh rate at 120 Hz, for example, for a smoother experience. However it does have even worse battery life compared to the already lacking base iPhone 13. Reasons to buy.
Although the iPhone 13 Pro is almost identical to the Pro Max, the larger phone still takes the top spot of the range. It’s a pretty good value even for a year-old phone. Support for 65W wired charging sets the standard for other phones.
The best waterproof phones you can buy today. All of Apple’s iPhone 13 models offer the same high-quality water resistance, but only one phone can take the crown. The best waterproof phone. If a phone boasts no IP rating, or has been treated with a water-repellent coating, you shouldn’t trust it to survive if it’s ever submerged. When he’s not fiddling with the latest devices, he’s at an indie pop show, recording a podcast or playing Sega Dreamcast.
The latest models from Samsung and Google — from the Galaxy S21 Ultra, Note 20 Ultra and Pixel 6 Pro — have been built to that 5-foot spec, which technically qualifies for IP68. Owning a water-resistant phone means that you can snap pictures by the pool or use your handset in the rain without fear it’ll be damaged. Specifications. While wireless charging isn’t as fast on this model as it is on the Pro version, you still get 65W wired charging, which is the best in the smartphone business. In general, a phone that lasts 10 hours or more is good, and anything above 11 hours makes our list of the best phone battery life.
That said, it’s still an excellent phone with a good display. At $1,299, the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra is certainly not a device you’re going to want to have to replace for any reason. OnePlus 9 Pro. The iPhone 13 doesn’t have the same 120Hz display as the Pro models, and it also misses out on the telephoto camera and LiDAR sensor again. Still, at $240, the OnePlus Nord N200 5G is a good value that will please bargain hunters just looking to add 5G connectivity.
Not only does it sport IP68 water resistance, but you get the all-new Tensor chip and a fresh new design. One of the most important tests we run is the Tom’s Guide battery test. These tests allow us to compare performance across iPhones and Android devices. 5. The fast-charging, solid performance and superior build of the OnePlus 7T deliver on that front.
While it can only survive 1.5 meters, it’ll still get through a dunk. Just as importantly, Samsung doesn’t skip on water resistance with its entry-level Galaxy S21. Reasons to avoid. We also time how quickly a phone can recharge, checking the battery status after 15 and 30 minutes.
Even with the hit that 5G and fast-refresh rates can put on a battery, the OnePlus 9 Pro outlasts the average smartphone. Reasons to avoid. In our lab, we test the brightness of the phone’s display as well as how colorful each screen is (using both the sRGB and DCI-P3 color gamut). It’s over a year old now, but the iPhone 12 still features the same level of waterproofing as the iPhone 13 line – an Apple-tested resistance to 30 minutes of being submerged under 20 feet of water, and an IP68 rating. In the case of other manufacturers, it’s a bit of a mixed bag, where only certain models pass the test.
Despite the fact that it’s a lower-priced phone, the OnePlus Nord 2 shares the 65W wired charging speeds featured in the company’s more expensive flagships. How we test the best OnePlus phones. 3. Specifications. The cameras on the OnePlus 8T are a little disappointing, so consider one of the newer OnePlus models if that feature is important to you.
Reasons to avoid. We run a web surfing test over 5G or 4G at 150 nits of screen brightness until the battery gives out. While some color inconsistencies remain, on the whole, you get photos from the OnePlus 9 that can stand against some of the best camera phones out there. At $399, the iPhone SE is the cheapest IP-rated, water-resistant phone you can buy.
Reasons to buy. In the mobile industry, an IP67 certification means your device will be protected against 3.3 feet (1 meter) of submersion for a period of 30 minutes. Specifications. That’s not a lot to pay for a phone that boasts what still can be considered some premium features, even if you’re missing out on the camera improvements found in more recent OnePlus models.
Reasons to avoid. Unfortunately, while many phone makers are all too quick to assert water resistance, you won’t find a single one that is confident enough in that claim to actually replace or repair one of their products, free of charge, in the event of a spill. Specifications. But few other phones in this price range offer a fast refreshing display (90Hz), fast 30W charging and long battery life.
Nevertheless, one of the options on our list of the best waterproof phones is bound to suit your needs. You’ll want to look for at least a "7" to connote water resistance. You’ll make some compromises to get a sub-$300 5G phone like a dim display and a stingy policy on Android software updates. Reasons to buy. That includes the partnership with Hasselblad that’s dramatically improved the OnePlus 9 camera output from what we’ve seen with past OnePlus phones.
8. His love for all things mobile began with the original Motorola Droid; since then he’s owned a variety of Android and iOS-powered handsets, refusing to stay loyal to one platform. Reasons to buy. If water resistance is a primary concern in your smartphone buying decision, you’ll definitely want to pay attention to manufacturers’ IP-rating claims. Otherwise, the OnePlus 8 offers a nice mix of features, including a display with a 90Hz refresh rate, a powerful Snapdragon 865 chipset, and a long-lasting battery.
That’s an especially valuable feature, given the Galaxy S21’s lower price. (It costs $200 less than last year’s Galaxy S20 when that phone debuted in 2020.) Last but not least, we take the best phones out in the field to take photos outdoors, indoors and at night in low light to see how they perform versus their closest competitors. Google went back to the drawing board with the Pixel 6, with the end result being one of the best phones you can buy right now. Google Pixel 6 Pro. Past OnePlus phones have featured only so-so cameras at best. Like other Galaxy flagships, the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra features IP68 water resistance, so you can drop it in up to 5 feet of water without worry.
OnePlus Nord N10 5G. Reasons to buy. And though Qualcomm has come out with faster processors since the phone’s debut in 2019, the Snapdragon 855 Plus is still a capable chipset. You’ll make some trade-offs for that lower price — the screen’s refresh rate no longer adjusts dynamically, there’s no telephoto lens and wireless charging isn’t as fast.
Stellar cameras for less. Specifications. OnePlus Nord devices are the phone maker’s budget devices — prices are lower and features are scaled back, though you’ll still find a few notable capabilities.
Samsung Galaxy S21. Where OnePlus ranks among the best Android phones. OnePlus keeps around older phones for a few years, selling them at reduced prices.
We measure color accuracy as well. In fact, we consider it the best Android phones on the market right now — and well worth a look for any prospective buyers who were entertaining one of Samsung’s comparable-but-pricier Galaxy S21 models. And with IP68 water resistance, you can rest assured that the Pixel 6 can survive if you drop it in some water. Therefore we have placed the iPhone 13 Pro Max on top, since it offers the best smartphone experience as well as an IP68 resistance rating. Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra.
A premium Android camera experience. The N10 5G lasted nearly 12 hours on our battery test, placing it on the best phone battery life list. However the screen picture quality, powerful chipset and overall quality of experience are the same. 2. iPhone 13. What are the best waterproof phones?
To measure the quality of a phone’s display, we perform lab tests to determine the brightness of the panel (in nits), as well as how colorful each screen is (DCI-P3 color gamut). Specifications. From the impressive hardware to the excellent software, the Pixel 6 Pro is the best Android experience. Specifications.
You get other solid features as well, such as a 90Hz refresh rate on the excellent LCD panel and good battery life. 1. OnePlus released three flagship phones in 2020, and two of them remain on sale. 1. iPhone 13 Pro Max. OnePlus 9. U.S. shoppers looking for the best OnePlus phone can feel a little envious about the OnePlus Nord 2. It’s only $50 more than the N200 as well. 10. iPhone SE (2020) Reasons to avoid.
How to choose the best waterproof phone for you. Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra. Specifications. Reasons to avoid.
In other parts of the world, people enjoy the more full-featured OnePlus Nord 2, but here, we get a device with a lower price and stripped-down specs to match. There would seem to be no reason for the OnePlus Nord N10 5G to hang around, now that the Nord N200 5G has arrived. Fast-charging in an older OnePlus phone. Reasons to avoid. OnePlus 8. Not only are the cameras extremely good, but the hardware and software complement each other so well.
The new second-generation iPhone SE packs the lightning-fast A13 Bionic processor from 2019’s flagship iPhones in the body of the iPhone 8. Specifications. If you don’t want to pay up for the OnePlus 9 Pro, consider a phone from the OnePlus Nord lineup of budget phones. Reasons to buy.
The best budget OnePlus phone — if you can get it. Anything below that might mean the device can withstand water sprays and splashes, but not immersion. In fact, the Pixel 6 Pro is the best phone Google has ever made. The OnePlus 9 Pro has won a Tom’s Guide Award as the fastest charging phone we’ve tested.
In addition to all that, the real star of the show is the camera setup on the OnePlus 9 Pro. Reasons to buy. Start with the screen refresh rate, which is 90Hz. The fact Samsung went to the extra trouble to make the Note 20 as sturdy as the Galaxy S20 range without sacrificing the stylus deserves praise.
About the only real limitation with the iPhone 13 is its disappointing charging speed, which most non-Apple phones beat with ease. Specifications. We’re not normally fans of macro lenses, but the macro camera on the OnePlus 7T actually does a good job. The best OnePlus phone overall. Its dual cameras still take fantastic pictures too, and once updated to iOS 15 it’ll have all the iPhone 13’s software tricks to play with as well.
Specifications. We also measure color accuracy of each panel with a Delta-E rating, where lower numbers are better and score of 0 is perfect. Reasons to buy.
The iPhone 13 is a good alternative if you don’t want to pay for the Pro features, as is last year’s iPhone 12 if you want to save even more. It also comes with an IP68 rating. You won’t find such devices on our list of the best waterproof phones.
But otherwise, all the other highlights of the OnePlus 9 Pro are here in this less expensive flagship. Its Apple A14 chipset is still more powerful than any Android phone even if it’s been superceded by the A15 chip. It also supports wireless charging and sports an aluminum-and-glass design, making it extremely premium compared to similarly-priced Android phones. Unfortunately, most budget phones tend to make do with this limited form of protection, and even some flagships, like the Motorola Edge Plus and Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro 5G, are among them.
OnePlus Nord 2. Reasons to buy. In less than a decade, OnePlus has grown from a little-known start-up to a phone maker with a fierce following that can release devices capable of challenging the best phones out there. Reasons to buy. The phablet also incorporates Corning’s new Gorilla Glass Victus material, which is better protected against scratches in addition to shattering. (The regular Note 20 makes do with Gorilla Glass 6 on the front and strengthened polycarbonate for the back.) 6. All the latest flagships from Apple and Samsung are water resistant, including the newly released Galaxy S21 and iPhone 13 lineup. The best waterproof phone for most people.
6. That might not sound remarkably impressive compared to other devices on this list, that are a bit more protected against liquid. Specifications. IP67 is anything up to and including 1 meter.
The first digit in an IP rating with dust protection — a "6" means the phone is dust tight, which is standard these days — whereas the second pertains to liquids. The biggest thing you’ll give up by opting for the OnePlus 8 over the newer OnePlus 9 series is the camera improvements introduced in this year’s models. We take shots of landscapes, food, portraits and more, and also allow you to be the judge with side-by-side comparisons in our reviews.
4. While it lacks a few features, the iPhone 13 still keeps up with its Pro siblings on the waterproof front. OnePlus 7T. We have a custom battery test in which we have phones surf the web continuously over a cellular connection, timing how long it takes until they run out of power. 9. 3. iPhone 12. Like the Galaxy S20 range, the OnePlus 8 Pro is built to last for 30 minutes in a maximum of 5 feet (1.5 meters) of water.
This phone is built to IP67 spec, meaning it can withstand submersion in 3.3 feet (1 meter) of water for a half hour. In these cases, higher numbers are better. If you want the very best experience that OnePlus has to offer, pay up for the OnePlus 9 Pro.
The best phones you can buy now : Longest-lasting smartphones The best unlocked phones for those skipping carriers. Reasons to avoid. They used to be hideous things, but today, they’re sleek devices that can shrug off splashes and even be submerged without problems. Reasons to buy.
Reasons to avoid. Other aspects of the Nord N200 5G disappoint, as the camera improvements that we’ve seen on other recent OnePlus phones have passed over this model. The price drop to $699 might make that a worthwhile sacrifice though.
Even Google’s Pixel 4a, another one of the best cheap phones, lacks both an IP rating and the ability to charge wirelessly. Reasons to avoid. Like the more expensive versions of this phone, the $799 S21 can survive a 5-foot plunge into water for up to 30 minutes. Specifications. That might save you in the event someone spills a drink on your phone, but it won’t help your phone should it sink to the bottom of a pool.
Look for an IP67 or IP68 rating — both mean the device can withstand being submerged in water for 30 minutes, at varying depths. The best OnePlus phones you can buy. And the phone can last up to 11.5 hours on our battery test, though we got that result with the adaptive refresh speed on the display turned off.
Adam Ismail is a staff writer at Jalopnik and previously worked on Tom’s Guide covering smartphones, car tech and gaming. But if you live in an area where the Nord 2 is available, jump on it with both feet, because you’re getting a lot of value with that phone. Best OnePlus phones in 2021. For the OnePlus 9 Pro, the phone maker teamed up with Hasselblad and the benefits of that partnership are on display in photos that show off natural tones.
Reasons to buy. Specifications. The OnePlus 9 lasts a long-time on a charge, too, falling just short of 11 hours in our testing.
2. If anything, we’d have to say that the Pixel 6’s battery life isn’t the best. The OnePlus 7T offers 30W charging, which can get a drained battery to around 70% after just half-an-hour. IP68 usually means you’re getting at least 5 feet (1.5 meters), though some companies, like Apple, use IP68 to refer to as much as 13 feet (4 meters) of durability. But what makes the iPhone SE’s water resistance so special is the handset’s bargain price. Read on for our top picks across all makes and models at every price.
5. But aside from its durability, we also appreciate its gorgeous 120Hz OLED screen, superfast wireless charging and gobs of performance, owing to the combination of a speedy Snapdragon 888 chipset and 12GB of superfast LPDDR5 RAM. Specifications. OnePlus typically releases flagships twice a year — once in the spring, followed by a T series version of that same phone in the fall. When shopping for the best OnePlus phones, keep in mind that OnePlus divides its smartphone product line into two different categories.
Touting multiple high-end specs like a big QHD+ AMOLED 120 Hz display, the latest Snapdragon 888 processor, and 65W wired charging, this phone is a really solid option no matter what you’re looking for. The launch of OnePlus Nord phones has created some overcrowding in the company’s product lineup. For now, OnePlus issues Nords with less impressive specs to its U.S. customers.
But the real value in this phablet comes with its other features — it’s the first phone outside of the Galaxy Note lineup to support Samsung’s S Pen.
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