The Clause

Santa Ana-based company Liquipel showcased its waterproof technology for cell phones at the 2012 International Consumer Electronics Show. Their vision of waterproofing electronics began approximately five years ago due to a high demand for cell phone protection against water exposure.

 

Expensive smartphones carrying important photographs, contacts, notes and agendas can easily be ruined in accidental exposure to water, minor or not. UC Riverside freshman Josh Chen lost his phone, along with everything stored in it, to an unfortunate mix of oil, dressing and water from a soggy sandwich.

 

“I felt very disappointed and stupid that my phone had short-circuited,” Chen said. “I now copy all my files and contacts to a SIM card to back them up.”

 

Despite the trick of sticking a water-exposed phone into a bag of rice to soak up the moisture, there is no guarantee the phone will still work — and that is where Liquipel comes in. They apply a nanocoating a thousand times thinner than a human hair onto the device, which permanently bonds to the phone at a molecular level. The formula starts as a liquid, which is then turned into a vapor and sucked into the phone.

 

Liquipel copresident Danny McPhail showed off the waterproof coating at CES in Las Vegas, explaining the technology as he casually dropped an iPhone into a tub of water.

 

“The coating actually goes inside the entire device, [internal and external]… so when you accidentally come in contact with water, your device is still going to be okay,” McPhail said.

 

The results are promising. Coffee spills and accidental drops into the toilet or pool have no effect on treated devices. The company also aims its waterproof coating at mothers, affirming that the coating is nontoxic and completely safe around teething babies and orally-fixated young children.

 

According to CNET.com, Liquipel has a waterproof rating of IPX-7, meaning it can only be immersed in water for 30 minutes at depths of one meter. Liquipel’s technology is designed only as protection against accidental exposure to water such as rain, spills and short term submersion, not swimming or scuba diving.

 

Liquipel is not the only company with waterproofing technology. HzO has its own method called Waterblock, used on consumer electronic devices and industrial equipment. P2i has their own version called Aridion, which has been expanded to waterproof footwear, eyewear and various textiles.

 

Each company has its own technology and system for waterproofing devices. Liquipel is the only company that offers a customer the opportunity to send in their phone to be “Liquipelled.” The basic price is $59, but customers can opt for the $69 priority option to have their phone treated and sent back to them within two hours of arrival. Liquipel can also apply a thin, scratch-resistant film to the phone for an additional fee.

 

Although Liquipel may be appealing, the inconvenience of having to go without a phone for a few days is not an option for everyone. Western seminary graduate student and pastor Helicon Kuan conducts much of his business and manages his calendar and emails with his iPhone. He also depends on his phone’s GPS for directions and often checks online applications such as Yelp.

 

“Sending it in would take too much time from my phone,” Kuan said. “$60 is also a bit steep in cost.”

 

Liquipel’s approved devices list currently consists of several popular smartphones: Apple iPhone 3G, 3S, 4 and 4S; HTC Evo Shift 4G, Evo 4G, MyTouch 4G and Thunderbolt; Motorola Droid X and X2; and Samsung Charge. Their website also advises customers to email or call them to check if a certain phone model has been added to the list.

 

As a relatively new company, Liquipel only became available to the public this past winter and has enjoyed an overwhelming reception with the water conscious, smartphone-using community.

 

“We really took off after CES. It’s unbelievable,” Liquipel sales agent Sarah Chytraus said. “We actually put our website on hold because we had so many devices sent in to us.”

 

The temporary halt on Liquipel orders may come as good news to potential customers with tighter budgets. As compensation for the inconvenience, Liquipel is offering a 15 percent discount once they are able to process orders again, using discount code “apology.”

 

Although the nanocoating is currently offered directly to smartphone owners, Liquipel is reportedly working with manufacturers to have mobile devices pre-coated with Liquipel available in the near future.