PatentlyApple did exactly what they’re supposed to earlier today and uncovered some interesting patents from Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) that might point toward evolution in the company’s smart phone, or other, devices. Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) has filed two new patents that would work toward waterproofing its devices.
What’s interesting about these patents is that out of 35 that the company was granted today, they are in an area that Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) appears to be working actively in. According to PatentlyApple, the Cupertino firm made several updates to waterproofing in the iPhone 5, and that’s something that the company is likely to continue.
The two waterproofing patents included a water inhibiting slide switch, and electronic device moisture indicators. The first of these is simple enough in intention. It’s a design for an electromechanical switch that is unaffected by moisture. The biggest problems with waterproofing usually occur with switches because they give space for moisture to get through.
The switch described in this patent would stop that, according to the description. The second patent, the “electronic device moisture indicators,” is simply an electronic sensor that can tell whether or not a device has been opened to moisture. The use for such a tool may seem difficult to fathom, as most people have quicker ways of telling whether their phone is under water, but it does have a more sinister use.
Depending on the kind of insurance or warranty a customer gets, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) or the retailer, may not cover users in case of water damage. If Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) has a quick and reliable way to prove that water damage occurred, it would reduce costs on that end of the business from consumer complaints and arbitration.
According to PatentlyApple, the iPhone 5 is a good deal more water proof than its predecessor, the iPhone 4S. Waterproofing is one of the more subtle and incremental technologies that Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is adding to its phones, and though customers may not notice in the short term, over the long term quality will win out.
Patent filings are usually a poor way to predict what a company like Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is up to. The company is involved in so may disparate fields of research that it comes in with binders of patents every year. Most of the company’s patents have never made it into any of their devices.
