Patent awarded to Apple last week suggests that a waterproof iPhone is in the works
Although the iPhone is considered water-resistant and meets certain standards that allow Apple to slap an IP68 rating on its phones, the device is not waterproof. Heck, Apple doesn't even believe that its phones can consistently repel water. How do we know this? Just look at the limited warranty for the iPhone, Nowhere in the warranty does Apple discuss how it covers water damage. This isn't just Apple. Every phone manufacturer doesn't cover water damage in the warranty even if a device has an IP68 or IP 67 rating.
Apple says that the iPhone 15 series is water-resistant to 6 meters (nearly 20 feet) for as long as 30 minutes. That is actually above the IP68 standards but it doesn't mean that you can bring the phone in the bath or shower with you since water from jet-sprays can defeat water resistance. And your iPhone will have a harder time surviving contact with water if it is not fresh water that it is "swimming" in. So in other words, don't take your iPhone diving with you unless it is in a case made specifically for that type of activity.
Remember, if Apple thought that the iPhone could survive every encounter with water, it would include water damage in the warranty.
Illustration from the patent shows how on an underwater iPhone, the camera can zoom in using the volume button
But a patent that Apple was awarded last week could indicate that the company is working on a waterproof version of the iPhone. The patent is titled "Underwater User Interface" and is more about adjusting iOS when an iPhone is underwater so that it is easier to use. Apple notes in the patent that iOS can be "cumbersome and inefficient" underwater. For example, an illustration included in the patent shows that an iPhone user would initiate the zoom on the camera by pressing the volume button instead of using multi-touch to pinch and zoom the screen.
This is exciting because if Apple is working on a special UI for iOS that makes it easier to use underwater, it makes sense to believe that the company is working on waterproof hardware as well. If Apple does make a waterproof iPhone, let's hope that they will finally add water damage coverage to the limited warranty. When a waterproof iPhone could become reality isn't clear, but the first manufacturer to make this happen will have a great feature to pitch to consumers.
The patent was awarded by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and was given U.S. patent number US 11,875,021.
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