Apple Patent Suggests Next Device Lineup Might Be Waterproof

There are lots of things that can go wrong with your phone. Drop it, and the screen might crack. Load too many apps, or too much media, and it might be sluggish. Both those scenarios often leave a phone usable, but dropping it in water typically sidelines the phone. With so many iPhones in the wild — and the clumsiness we as humans seem prone to — it seems reasonable that waterproofing them is a really good idea. A new Apple patent suggests that's exactly what's going to happen, too.

The patent app describes more than one method for making sure your phone doesn't feel the pains of water-logging. First, Apple wants to coat internal parts with a hydrophobic coating, which would only be about 5 microns thick (Apple guesses anywhere from 1 to 10 microns). The coating wouldn't add bulk to the phone, either.

Apple also wants to use silicone seals at connection points on the board, and with flex cables that might connect a board and/or components.

It's similar to what we see with Liquipel, who can make just about any device usable underwater. By coating the inside of your phone, you're left with a device that is both waterproof and operating without some bulky case.

This is also something we came across in the lead-up to the iPhone 6. As rumors were flying around, one suggested Apple was going to waterproof their phones. Without a patent such as this, it meant another stop in the supply chain, which would have dogged production to a standstill.

Other OEMs, like Sony, create water resistant phones, and bill them as great for underwater photography. Apple's iPhone would be great for that, too, but the real attraction is not ruining your phone when you tip a glass of iced tea onto it.

Via: Apple Insider