With a new year comes a new iPhone and per sources, Apple may be looking to boost its protective features by boosting the phone's water-resistance.
The US Patent & Trademark Office has published a US patent application created by Apple that details a new approach to waterproofing. While the application doesn't specify which Apple product the feature will be applied to, sources are expecting this to be used for the iPhone.
The application works on the idea that hydrophobic coating a device's internal components of a device may prove to be more successful than using waterproof casing.
According to MacRumors, " the patent application describes a 'hydrophobic coating' to be layered onto integral parts within a device, like its printed circuit board. Apple describes achieving this using a 'plasma-assisted chemical vapor deposition (PACVD) process' that would adhere the coating substance onto the surface of the printed circuit board in such a way as to not take up much additional room in the already small casing of a smartphone."
Considering the lengths Apple has taken to slim down its iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, waterproofing with casing would compromise the design of a device thus this internal coating method would be a way around that.
"While bulky cases have had a certain amount of success at mitigating water entry ... a protective case is of little or no value once water has entered a device housing," said the applicant in the patent application.
This isn't the first move by a smartphone manufacturers to incorporate water-resistance to some of its devices but the use of an internal model would definitely set the Cupertino-based firm, writes CNN. As an example, the publication cited the Samsung Galaxy S5 smartphone.
The model "is water resistant because it has a more protective case that doesn't let water get inside. But Samsung is losing the plastic shell for its next model, the Galaxy S6/ The new frame will be aluminum -- which means this new model won't be water resistant."
This is Apple's first attempt to incorporate such a feature into its smartphone line. As it stands, the only option iPhone users have would be to buy third-party developed cases that will enclose your smartphone to make it waterproof.
The iPhone 6S or iPhone 7, whichever Apple decides to call it is expected to be released in Sept. of this year, the usual timetable of Apple in releasing new smartphones.
