Samsung and Apple looking at new waterproof smartphone tech
A new technology that could save your phone from getting water damaged could be included the next wave of smartphones about to be made by Samsung and Apple. — Called HZO, the technology creates a nano-scale film barrier …
Context & Ripple Effects
Waterproofing by coating rather than casing has been circling the handset industry since P2i's Ion-Mask treatment surfaced in late 2007 as a candidate for making water-resistant phones ordinary. Four years later, HZO's nano-scale film barrier is reportedly under evaluation at Samsung and Apple — though the relationship remains unconfirmed, so this is a signal of interest, not a design win.
What makes the rumor notable is who is said to be looking: the two largest smartphone makers would turn a niche materials technology into a default expectation for flagship hardware, the same trajectory P2i's backers hoped for back in 2007.
First-order effects
- If either company adopts HZO, the small coating vendor gains reference customers whose volumes could set the de facto standard for nano-coating in consumer electronics.
- Handset buyers would see liquid damage shift from an out-of-warranty repair cost toward a spec-sheet line item, changing what 'flagship' means at the point of sale.
Second-order effects
- Rival coating specialists such as P2i would face direct competition for the same design slots, pressuring pricing and pushing each vendor to lock in exclusive or preferred-supplier arrangements.
- Competing handset makers — HTC, Motorola, Nokia — would need matching water-resistance claims to avoid a visible spec gap against Samsung and Apple flagships.
Third-order effects
- If the pattern holds, waterproofing migrates from ruggedized niche devices to a baseline component decision, making specialty materials firms strategic suppliers whose technology is designed in years ahead of launch.
- The longer-run question is whether coating-based approaches beat mechanical sealing — gaskets and ports — as the industry's standard route to liquid resistance, a contest neither side has settled.
The trend: Nano-scale protective coatings are moving from startup demonstrations toward mainstream smartphone components, with the largest handset makers' sourcing choices deciding which vendor wins.