Next iPhone could be fully waterproof: report

PanARMENIAN.Net - Using your iPhone in a bath or swimming pool without risk could soon become a reality as Apple appears to be exploring waterproofing technology, Digital Spy reports.

A patent filing unearthed by The Verge suggests the Cupertino firm's future handsets will be resistant to a dunking thanks to the inclusion of a rubber port cover that loses and regains its shape.

The shape-shifting port would allow accessories to be plugged in before sealing the gap around the input to prevent liquid from seeping in.

Apple is taking tentative steps towards a fully waterproof smartphone, with a teardown of the iPhone 6S revealing an adhesive gasket between the front and rear panels that makes the device more resistant to liquids.

Digital Spy has also seen previous waterproofing patents from the company, including one for a hydrophobic coating that protects inner circuitry.

It remains to be seen whether the technology will make it into next year's iPhone 7, but the signs are promising, even though Apple is yet to be granted this particular patent, Digital Spy said.