HzO 'Talking to Apple' About Water Blocking Technology for Future iPhones

MacRumors · Jan 16, 2012, 09:51 AM

Pocket-lint reports that Utah company HzO, which was showing off its "WaterBlock" technology for providing water resistance to mobile devices at last week's CES, has said it is talking to Apple about the possibility of including the technology in future iPhones and other devices. Samsung is also reportedly "excited" by the technology.

Quote:

"We showed the Samsung Chairman the technology with a Samsung Galaxy S that we had coated with HZO and he couldn't believe his eyes," a representative of the company told us. "Samsung is really excited by the tech."

The company has told us that they are also talking to Apple as well, hoping to be able to let Apple make the iPhone 5 waterproof.

"We expect HZO to be in next season's phones," HZO told Pocket-lint rather confidently.

The WaterBlock technology, which consists of a coating applied to interior device components to help them resist water damage, is performed during the manufacturing process and is invisible to the user.

It is difficult to know how serious the company's discussions with Apple are, and any substantial conversations would almost certainly be subject to non-disclosure arrangements. In addition, expo floor exhibitors are of course primarily interested in promoting their products, and any mention of discussions of partnerships with major companies is a good way to generate publicity.

Consequently, it is impossible to put any measure of weight on speculation that Apple might adopt HzO technology, but it does appear to be an interesting possibility for mobile device manufacturers seeking to improve the durability of their products.

Article Link: HzO 'Talking to Apple' About Water Blocking Technology for Future iPhones

TimUSCA · Jan 16, 2012, 09:55 AM

This is an example of a company that would make sense for Apple to just outright buy. The iPhone being waterproof would be a *major* selling point.

Btrthnezr3 · Jan 16, 2012, 09:58 AM

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9A405 Safari/7534.48.3)

I think this would also be awesome. Many people I know seem to shy from smart phones in general because they feel they are "fragile." Maybe it's the rural area?

But I'm wondering if this coating has heat dissipation issues?

timotay89 · Jan 16, 2012, 10:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TimUSCA

This is an example of a company that would make sense for Apple to just outright buy. The iPhone being waterproof would be a *major* selling point.

iPad and iPod too!

emvath · Jan 16, 2012, 10:02 AM

This would have saved me a good chunk of money a year ago.

Please include this apple (and everyone else)!

iDuel · Jan 16, 2012, 10:02 AM

Looks interesting. That would be a really strong selling point for me if it were to be included.

drober30 · Jan 16, 2012, 10:03 AM

These guys just hit the lottery!

Dainin · Jan 16, 2012, 10:03 AM

Could be some downsides.. I really hope Apple seriously takes a look.

DrJohnnyN · Jan 16, 2012, 10:03 AM

Apple, adopt this technology!

dgree03 · Jan 16, 2012, 10:05 AM

Why wait?

http://www.liquipel.com/

Its already being done, I am going to send my wifes phone to try it out! Women who put phones in their back pocket, then us the bathroom, guess where the phone ends up?

lifeinhd · Jan 16, 2012, 10:06 AM

Unfortunately, Apple would rather you just buy a new phone if you get yours wet

jclardy · Jan 16, 2012, 10:06 AM

I wonder how waterproof this stuff can make a phone. I am wondering because it would be a cool feature to allow underwater videos to be taken, but I am guessing it can only be submerged a few feet.

Of course, you would have to already have the camera app open as I don't think the capacitive touchscreen will work while submerged.

daxomni · Jan 16, 2012, 10:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TimUSCA

This is an example of a company that would make sense for Apple to just outright buy. The iPhone being waterproof would be a *major* selling point.

It makes even more sense to buy them outright and then sit on the patents while selling new phones to anyone with warranty-killing water damage.

nikhsub1 · Jan 16, 2012, 10:11 AM

For those of you that think this is so 'revolutionary' you need to just google conformal coatings. This has been done for years, and is nothing new, exciting or groundbreaking at this point. I have been water cooling computers for almost 15 years now and have used conformal coatings you can spray out of a can that work just as the video with the iphone. I LOL'd at "these guys just hit the lottery"

Trust me, Apple has known about conformal coatings forever, they are not stupid and like I said it is nothing new. There are potential downsides, one is that it can help to retain heat...

NinjaHERO · Jan 16, 2012, 10:16 AM

Wow. That is awesome. Would be a very cool addition to any portable electronic device.

nagromme · Jan 16, 2012, 10:18 AM

I’d be a little afraid to be an early-adopter manufacturer, and discover the 1-in-1000 problems (smell? fire? warranty/legal headaches? demons?) multiplied by millions of users... but I hope there aren’t any such issues, and that everything starts to use this!

I’m surprisingly compelled to put my iPhone in the toilet, and right now, it's impractical for me to do so.

Dr McKay · Jan 16, 2012, 10:19 AM

This would be incredible, too many iPhones have died at the hands of water. A friend of mines died when it was in his gym bag, and his water bottle leaked.

BobbyRond · Jan 16, 2012, 10:19 AM

Cool as this technology may be, there will most certainly be people who consider charging your electronic device in the bathtub is a safe thing to do...

Maybe something the tech companies should also take into account...

Finiksa · Jan 16, 2012, 10:20 AM

This is nothing new. Search for Golden Shellback a company that was trying to market this in 2008. The technology works incredibly well and it has for years.

These are just various vapour deposit polymer coating processes that companies are trying to brand and mass market. These technologies have been used for years to waterproof medical electronics.

iSee · Jan 16, 2012, 10:22 AM

Quote:

"We expect HZO to be in next season's phones," HZO told...

I think this means there is almost no chance Hz0 will have anything to do with the iPhone 5.

Apple's partners keep their mouths shut. HzO surely knows this. So this sounds like a desperate ploy to get attention from other manufacturers.

AppleScruff1 · Jan 16, 2012, 10:25 AM

This sounds like it will be a step above the current Droid Razr's water resistance.

rick snagwell · Jan 16, 2012, 10:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dgree03

Why wait?

http://www.liquipel.com/

Its already being done, I am going to send my wifes phone to try it out! Women who put phones in their back pocket, then us the bathroom, guess where the phone ends up?

good call. this place is only an hour away from me. thanks!

----------

Quote:

Originally Posted by iSee

I think this means there is almost no chance Hz0 will have anything to do with the iPhone 5.

Apple's partners keep their mouths shut. HzO surely knows this. So this sounds like a desperate ploy to get attention from other manufacturers.

agreed.

Kilamite · Jan 16, 2012, 10:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dgree03

Why wait?

http://www.liquipel.com/

Its already being done, I am going to send my wifes phone to try it out! Women who put phones in their back pocket, then us the bathroom, guess where the phone ends up?

Does that protect the iPhone against jobbies too?

TheMacBookPro · Jan 16, 2012, 10:30 AM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRCiJJN49tg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MN3t97tkD8U

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6Dvp8EgMeA

Pretty cool, but nothing new

knewsom · Jan 16, 2012, 10:32 AM

This is so cool... there's no way in hell Apple's ever gonna do it.

Jan 16, 2012, 09:55 AM	#2
TimUSCA macrumors regular Join Date: Mar 2006	This is an example of a company that would make sense for Apple to just outright buy. The iPhone being waterproof would be a major selling point.
	69

Jan 16, 2012, 09:58 AM	#3
Btrthnezr3 macrumors 6502a Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Texas	Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9A405 Safari/7534.48.3) I think this would also be awesome. Many people I know seem to shy from smart phones in general because they feel they are "fragile." Maybe it's the rural area? But I'm wondering if this coating has heat dissipation issues? __________________ iPhone 5, iMac, MBA
	10

Jan 16, 2012, 10:02 AM	#6
iDuel macrumors 6502 Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Pella, Greece	Looks interesting. That would be a really strong selling point for me if it were to be included. __________________ Internet Explorer cannot display this Signature.
	3

Jan 16, 2012, 10:03 AM	#9
DrJohnnyN macrumors 6502a Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Dallas, TX, USA	Apple, adopt this technology! __________________ "In nothing do men more nearly approach the gods than in giving health to men." -Cicero
	2

Jan 16, 2012, 10:05 AM	#10
dgree03 macrumors 65816 Join Date: Jan 2009	Why wait? http://www.liquipel.com/ Its already being done, I am going to send my wifes phone to try it out! Women who put phones in their back pocket, then us the bathroom, guess where the phone ends up? __________________ This is me, I am a Tech Hoarder. Lover of all tech.
	1

Jan 16, 2012, 10:02 AM	#5
emvath macrumors regular Join Date: Jan 2009	This would have saved me a good chunk of money a year ago. Please include this apple (and everyone else)!
	4

Jan 16, 2012, 10:03 AM	#7
drober30 macrumors 6502a Join Date: Jul 2007	These guys just hit the lottery!
	11

Jan 16, 2012, 10:03 AM	#8
Dainin macrumors regular Join Date: Sep 2009	Could be some downsides.. I really hope Apple seriously takes a look.
	7

Jan 16, 2012, 10:06 AM	#11
lifeinhd macrumors 65816 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: 127.0.0.1	Unfortunately, Apple would rather you just buy a new phone if you get yours wet __________________ PowerBook G5, 1.67GHz MacBook Pro, iPhone Nano, iPhone 6, Apple Television Set
	-22

Jan 16, 2012, 10:06 AM	#12
jclardy macrumors 68000 Join Date: Oct 2008	I wonder how waterproof this stuff can make a phone. I am wondering because it would be a cool feature to allow underwater videos to be taken, but I am guessing it can only be submerged a few feet. Of course, you would have to already have the camera app open as I don't think the capacitive touchscreen will work while submerged. __________________ Swift Fox Software \| Rocket Chimp (iTunes - Free + Universal!) \| TargetTap Lite (iTunes) \| TargetTap (iTunes)
	1

Jan 16, 2012, 10:11 AM	#14
nikhsub1 macrumors 65816 Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: mmmm... jessica.'s beer...	For those of you that think this is so 'revolutionary' you need to just google conformal coatings. This has been done for years, and is nothing new, exciting or groundbreaking at this point. I have been water cooling computers for almost 15 years now and have used conformal coatings you can spray out of a can that work just as the video with the iphone. I LOL'd at "these guys just hit the lottery" Trust me, Apple has known about conformal coatings forever, they are not stupid and like I said it is nothing new. There are potential downsides, one is that it can help to retain heat... __________________ Laptop --> 17" Hi-Res AG 2.3 Sandy Bridge / 16GB RAM / Crucial M4 SSD 512GB / 10.8 iPhone --> 64GB White iPhone 5 iPad --> White 64GB AT&T LTE Desktop --> The Beast
	29

Jan 16, 2012, 10:16 AM	#15
NinjaHERO macrumors 6502a Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: U S of A	Wow. That is awesome. Would be a very cool addition to any portable electronic device. __________________ MBP 13", Iphone 4S My book, G.H.O.S.T. Teams and my youtube series, Chronicles Of Zombia
	1

Jan 16, 2012, 10:18 AM	#16
nagromme macrumors G4 Join Date: May 2002	I’d be a little afraid to be an early-adopter manufacturer, and discover the 1-in-1000 problems (smell? fire? warranty/legal headaches? demons?) multiplied by millions of users... but I hope there aren’t any such issues, and that everything starts to use this! I’m surprisingly compelled to put my iPhone in the toilet, and right now, it's impractical for me to do so. __________________ nagromme What happens when corporations buy the government? Americans have returned to receiving 1960s wages, despite being twice as productive.
	3

Jan 16, 2012, 10:19 AM	#17
Dr McKay macrumors Demi-God Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Kirkland	This would be incredible, too many iPhones have died at the hands of water. A friend of mines died when it was in his gym bag, and his water bottle leaked. __________________ Difficult takes a few seconds; impossible, a few minutes
	0

Jan 16, 2012, 10:19 AM	#18
BobbyRond macrumors regular Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: The Hague, The Netherlands	Cool as this technology may be, there will most certainly be people who consider charging your electronic device in the bathtub is a safe thing to do... Maybe something the tech companies should also take into account... __________________ MacBook 13" Unibody 2.0 GHz / 4 GB 1066 MHz / 1 TB 5400 RPM / OS X ML 10.8 iPhone 5 64 GB Black \| iPod Classic 30 GB White AirPort Express \| Apple TV
	11

Jan 16, 2012, 10:20 AM	#19
Finiksa macrumors 6502a Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Australia	This is nothing new. Search for Golden Shellback a company that was trying to market this in 2008. The technology works incredibly well and it has for years. These are just various vapour deposit polymer coating processes that companies are trying to brand and mass market. These technologies have been used for years to waterproof medical electronics. __________________ Mac mini - Core i5 2.5GHz (with Crucial M4 SSD) iPhone 4s 16GB White New iPad 32GB Wi-Fi White
	8

Jan 16, 2012, 10:25 AM	#21
AppleScruff1 macrumors 601 Join Date: Feb 2011	This sounds like it will be a step above the current Droid Razr's water resistance.
	-4

Jan 16, 2012, 10:30 AM	#24
TheMacBookPro macrumors 68020 Join Date: May 2008	http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRCiJJN49tg http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MN3t97tkD8U http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6Dvp8EgMeA Pretty cool, but nothing new __________________ .MacBook Pro¹⁵ (Retina.2.6.16.512) \| iPhone⁵ (Black.64.4G) \| iPad³ (Black.64.4G) \| Surfaceᴿᵀ (64.touch) \| Nexus⁷ (16)
	2

Jan 16, 2012, 10:32 AM	#25
knewsom macrumors 6502a Join Date: Jun 2005	This is so cool... there's no way in hell Apple's ever gonna do it. __________________ 27" iMac Core i7, 8GB RAM; 13" Aluminum Macbook; iPhone 4s, 4, 3Gs (now an iPod Touch for my kid) rogueplanetart.com - follow me on Twitter
	-5

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