A new patent awarded to Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) suggests the upcoming iPhone 7, although apparently a little disappointing, might be waterproof. The patent, granted this week, covers Apple’s invention for underwater photography editing tools.
So if Apple is making sure photos taken underwater look good, it’s obvious the company is working to make future iPhones waterproof. Rumors say the iPhone 7, expected to come out this year, may champion this feature.
The patent doesn’t specify which operating systems, upgrades or apps are needed for the mobile devices to run the underwater photography technology, but it did mention iPhones and iPads could support the software.
iPhone 7 may be Apple’s first waterproof device
As of right now, Apple doesn’t manufacture any waterproof mobile devices, but this may well be the first step. Because why would Apple bother to develop an impractical underwater tool.
For those who would like their smartphones to be waterproof, there are many third-party iPhone cases available. This way they could, for example, get in the pool with it by accident without panicking.
Customers could be just a month away from witnessing the launch of the first waterproof Apple smartphone. Reports say that the Cupertino company’s next mobile phone, likely called iPhone 7, will premiere on September 16 with the new waterproof feature.
Apple could take measures to deal with piracy
This rumor comes from another set of rumors that suggest Apple will remove the classic headphone jack on the new iPhone, which is one of the easiest places for water to drown a smartphone.
Companies like Samsung have managed to keep the jack and make its devices waterproof, though. The Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge smartphones, and the Galaxy Note 7 phablet are examples of that.
However, this move could be Apple’s way of stop people from listening to pirated music. Enter the digital Lightning port instead of the analog headphones jack and the iPhone maker could include software to prevent illegally downloaded or streamed content from being played.
The iPhone 6 is water-resistant
The iPhone 7 could be the first fully waterproof Apple phone but the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus already have technology that makes them more liquid resistant than past models. Apple coated them with a gasket around the sides and encased every cable connector on the logic board with a special water-resistant material. Apple’s Baywatch technology focused more on protecting the iPhone’s sensitive electronics rather than external ports.
But unlike Sony and Samsung, Apple didn’t even mention the feature, maybe because the phones weren’t completely immune to liquid. Or maybe the company didn’t want customers to prove that claim.
Source: Quartz