We’ve covered a few waterproof phones in the past few weeks, but they’ve been single models that look like they’ll see limited release. According to Pocket-lint, however, some major brands might be putting the technology in upcoming devices. HzO — which demonstrated its superhydrophobic waterproof coating on phones at this year’s CES — says that Samsung is “really excited” by the technology. It says it’s also talked with Apple about making a waterproof iPhone 5. While we’re not sure who will end up licensing the waterproofing, HzO says that “We expect HzO to be in next season’s phones.”
With several similar films (including Liquipel, Aridion, and NeverWet) on the market, it wouldn’t be a surprise for phone makers to start including them in the manufacturing process; in fact, the Xoom 2 and other recent Motorola products have already launched with waterproofing that’s supposed to have the same properties. Currently, though, most waterproof coatings are added to both the outside of the phone and the internal components by third parties. Superhydrophobic technology itself was first developed decades ago for clothing, and works by covering materials with a film that’s difficult for water to adhere to. Water that’s poured onto a superhydrophobic surface appears to skitter or slide off, and the surfaces are also more resistant to dirt and other liquids, as seen in the videos below.
