New Apple patent suggests iPhone users will be able to print in the rain and underwater

Apple has received a patent that suggests the iPhone will become relevant for use in the rain. While all recent iPhone models are water resistant, using your iPhone in the rain is not easy. Water droplets on the display make it difficult to enter text or access different areas of the screen. Apple seems to be planning to address these issues by providing features including “wet mode”. The Cupertino-based company may also allow its future iPhone models to detect environmental changes to adjust their sensitivity to touch.

The patent is issued by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). offers that Apple plans to modify the iPhone to work during “moisture exposure” such as rain. It will use built-in pressure and humidity sensors to detect water and adjust the software accordingly.

The software can change the on-screen buttons in the event of light rain to reduce the chance of accidental touching. Apple could also let the iPhone adjust the display’s pressure sensitivity and only register touch input when a certain amount of pressure is applied. This would help avoid false inputs that could be registered by raindrops.

“The electronic device may include a moisture sensor capable of detecting the amount of moisture present on the protective coating, where, when the amount of moisture exceeds a threshold, the processor determines the position of a touch event based on the detection signals provided by the capacitive detector and the applied force detector,” it says. in a patent application.

The document also suggests that there may be different modes of touch response adjustment, called wet, dry, and underwater.

In the case of wet and dry modes, the iPhone can change the force input definition to accept touch inputs, depending on whether the user’s finger is dry or wet. However, the underwater mode may allow the iPhone to change the interface and make it easier to use underwater, as described in the patent.

Underwater mode can be used to take photos and record videos while iPhone is underwater. It can also adjust settings such as white balance settings, ISO sensitivity and camera clarity, as well as the brightness of its display, as suggested by the patent application.

In addition to detailing the patented updates, the listing on the USPTO website includes several images demonstrating how the modifications will work.

iPhone may get wet mode to deal with water drops on the screen
Photo Credit: USPTO

Apple still hasn’t officially marketed its iPhone models for underwater photography. No liquid damage yet. covered by warranty. However, there could be some changes on all these fronts if the details of the patent application are to be believed.

The iPhone 13 and iPhone 12 models in the lineup feature an IP68-rated housing that provides some degree of water resistance. For previous models, including the iPhone 8 and iPhone 7, Apple offered an IP67-certified case.

Apple filed a patent to design the iPhone to work in the rain in March 2021. However, the authorities granted the application in June this year.

Gadgets 360 has reached out to Apple for comment on the patent and will update this article when the company responds.

Companies usually file patents for a list of technologies they want to use in their future devices. However, there are times when patented technologies are only for prototyping. Thus, it is safe to view speculation based on a patent application with a healthy dose of skepticism.