Will the 'iPhone 7' be truly waterproof like the rumors say?
According to the latest rumors, your next iPhone might actually be waterproof. New reports from a research firm, cited by Taiwan’s Commercial Times and subsequently summarized by DigiTimes (via AppleInsider), suggest that Catcher Technologies is working on the waterproof chassis and will supply about 30 to 35 percent of that component for the upcoming “iPhone 7.”
The reports also indicate that Catcher Technologies is developing “new compound materials” to help conceal the device’s antennas, but no other sources have mentioned changes to that component of the iPhone 7. It’s possible that the antenna could be integrated into the chassis itself. The suggestion of new materials also might mean the rumors of Apple abandoning the metallic casing used since the iPhone 5 are true.
The possibility of a waterproof iPhone 7 has been floated before (no pun intended), and the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus are already more water-resistant than their predecessors. This is thanks to an added gasket and various silicone seals, but going completely waterproof would involve considerably more redesign work.
What Catcher Technologies has to do is figure out how to seal off all of the ports, switches, and buttons on the handset. Some cases accomplish this with gasketed inserts, but the sleek and svelte form factor of the iPhone is always compromised by the waterproofing.
How Apple could produce a waterproof iPhone without making the device look less appealing may be a challenge, but it’s one that Samsung has managed to some extent with its Galaxy Active handsets. Only time will tell if that is truly Apple’s intent, since the new device probably won’t be announced until September 2016.
Image credit: nadonline | Wondrous Pics
