Apple patent reveals company trying to make a waterproof iPhone

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Friday, March 6, 2015
The company hopes to patent a method of waterproofing the iPhone's inside electronics rather than the outside casing.
USPTO/Apple

This is sure to cause a splash! A U.S. patent application reveals that Apple has been working on a waterproof smartphone for some time.

Just a few months after Samsung released their waterproof Galaxy S5, Apple filed a patent application with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on Sept. 4 for "methods for shielding electronic components from moisture," which details plans to waterproof the inside electronics rather than the outside casing.

The patent explains its method of waterproof as applying a hydrophobic coating to the various circuit boards via a "plasma assisted chemical vapor deposition (PACVD) process," so the components susceptible to be damaged by moisture would be individually insulated.

At this time, it is unclear if this waterproofing method has thus far been put into use, or if will be available for the iPhone 7, or any other Apple products.

It is also unknown if Apple will address this development at the special "Spring Forward" event next week, though it is expected that the event will mostly be covering the final details of the Apple Watch.

ABC will be covering Apple's "Spring Forward" event this Monday, March 9. Coverage starts at 12 p.m. ET | 11 a.m. CT.

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