Panasonic introduces waterproof Android smartphone

It looks like Panasonic has beat Samsung and Apple to the waterproof smartphone revolution. This week, at the Mobile World Congress expo Panasonic unveiled a smartphone that was completely waterproof up to a 1 meter depth and a submersion time of thirty-minutes.

The phone, named the Panasonic Eluga, runs Android, has 8GB of storage, NFC tech, and an 8-megapixel camera. That’s not what got us going though; back in January we wrote about a rumor that suggested that the next generation iPhone could have HZO nanotechnology that would take an iPhone and make it waterproof. At the time, HZO indicated that they were in talks with Samsung and Apple to bring the waterproof tech to market.

While Panasonic seems to have beaten everyone to market, the release certainly provides some proof that companies are starting to look for creative ways to eliminate water damage to mobile devices. It’s a win for the company’s bottom line as replacement rates would be less, and it’s a win for consumers who don’t have to worry about fighting with companies about water damage.

With summer on the way, I’d like to protect my phone from those random moments when friends try to give me the ole’ shove in the pool. Would you buy a waterproof phone? I certainly would, especially if it means that I’m a lot less likely to void my phone warranty by walking in the rain and taking a call. Apple, make it happen.

Joshua is the Content Marketing Manager at BuySellAds. He’s also the founder of Macgasm.net. And since all that doesn’t quite give him enough content to wrangle, he’s also a technology journalist in his spare time, with bylines at PCWorld, Macworld and TechHive.