Huawei announced the new Mate 10 series of smartphones yesterday, and it is a powerhouse. The Mate 10 has got a great display, premium design, a first in class set of dual cameras, and the latest hardware. However, it lacks one thing that has kind of become the norm in 2017.

The Huawei Mate 10 is NOT waterproof. Yes, that is true. Huawei has excluded this simple feature from the Mate 10, while the Mate 10 Pro and the Porsche Design variants are water and dust resistant with an IP67 rating. In 2017, when most smartphones come with an IP67 or even an IP68 rating, the Mate 10 doesn’t feature any.

That is a pretty big drawback, specially since the Mate 10 is a flagship device. A lot of consumers do expect this feature when they’re paying big money. The Mate 10 is expected to start at €699, which is right there among the flagship smartphones from big names such as Samsung, Apple, Google, LG, and others.

What is IP67 or IP68 rating?

An IP67 rating implies that you can submerge your device in 1 meter of water for up to 30 minutes. And that’s great. IP is the standard for International Protection that was coined by the International Electrotechnical Commission. The number 6 denotes the level of protection it has against dust, and 7 is the number given for water resistance.

If you’re someone who uses their phone in the shower or while taking a swim, then you can relax knowing your phone can withstand water related accidents. Unfortunately, most manufacturers do not recommend doing this on purpose, even if the devices have an IP68 rating.

Yes, you can accidentally drop one in a swimming pool or the shower, and it will work. But go for a swim with the phone in your pocket for a long time or use it in heavy rain, and it will most likely stop working. Those tests which provided them with the IP67 or IP68 rating, they were done in a lab in controlled environments. Also, the phones were in standby mode as well, and not being used to take photos under water.

Still, having a certification is certainly better than having none at all. We are not sure why Huawei didn’t make this a standard across all the Mate 10 variants. Does a waterproof rating matter to you? Would you purchase the Mate 10 knowing that it is not waterproof?