Waterproof smartphones are all the fad these days with Samsung and Sony’s first half flagship for 2014 sporting an IP67 and IP58 rating, respectively. The only exception is the new One (M8) from HTC, which does not feature any kind of IP rating or at least that’s what the company has led us to believe until now.

Turns out, the HTC One (M8) has an IPX3 rating, as confirmed by Jeff Gordon, senior global communications manager at HTC.

The X here signifies that the M8 does not offer any kind of protection against dust ingression, but does provide limited protection “against direct sprays of water up to 60 degree from the vertical.” This means that, technically, your One (M8) can survive those accidental spills of water. However, don’t expect it to survive a swimming session or being immersed in water for extended periods of time.

Keep in mind that since HTC does not boast or market’s the One (M8) IPX3 rating, you will not get kind of warranty claim if you end up water damaging it.

While the One’s IP rating is not as high as the Xperia Z2 or Galaxy S5, it is still nice to see the company making its handset somewhat resistant to water damage. I am not a big fan of the stiff microUSB port flaps on the Galaxy S5 and Xperia Z2, which is a necessity to achieve a higher IP rating, so I’d prefer the One’s limited water resistance capabilities any day of the week.

If you want to know what the IP rating of your smartphone really mean, make sure to read this post.