Pixel phones to support IP53 rating, won't be immersion protected

Lately, Apple embraced the waterproof ability emulating Android smartphones. It’s been a feature its arch-rival Samsung has been incorporating for a while now. While Apple embraces the feature, Pixel phones that are all set to be launched on 30 October, will be moving slight away from it, if not completely. An AndroidPolice report, citing ’trusted’ people familiar with the matter, said that the new devices will support IP53 dust and water resistance, just like the HTC 10. This essentially means no advanced water resistance ability. To put things in perspective, this means Pixel phones may withstand a spill or if you want to pull it out in the rains and make a call. Still then, it could just work if you are holding your device upright. However, it is a big no when it comes to full submersion underwater as the speakers, ports and buttons may not be crafted to stop the intrusion of water. In technical terms, the ‘3’ in IP53 means the device will not face water ingress damaging if it is placed upright at an angle that doesn’t go beyond 60 degrees from vertical, when facing low-pressure spray of water. With Apple including the feature, competitors are definitely under some pressure when it comes to this feature. You can read more about the waterproof ability included by the recently released iPhone 7 models here . The Pixel phones - believed to replace the Nexus program but won’t come cheap - launch is slated to take place at an event on 4 October. Here’s what else we know about the device, so far.