Apple has filed a patent that could potentially lead to new waterproof devices.
The patent was filed in 2014 but it was only made public now. What was most interesting about the patent is the mention of ‘self healing rubber,’ one that could be implemented into the headphone jack and lightning ports. The rubber works by reshaping itself once pressure is relieved. So to be used in an iPhone, once you remove your headphones from the jack, the rubber will reshape and reseal the hole, resuming the protection of the device.
Aside from liquid damage, the technology can also be used to protect against dust, debris, gas and sand. So pictures of rolling sand dunes won’t be ruined by a freak sand storm. The Sony Xperia Z5 and Samsung Galaxy S6 Active already offers waterproofing, with ports not needing to be covered.
It remains to be seen whether Apple will use the technology for future devices.
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Via Apple Insider and United States Patent and Trademark Office.
