Water resistant smartphones is a growing segment with 22.5 million units shipped in 2016 in Western Europe
Over 900,00 smartphones are damaged by water every day, consumers are responding by opting for water-resistant smartphones.
Smartphones offering water-resistance capabilities grew 45.2 per cent year-on-year, in the first nine months of 2016. In the same period smartphone without water-resistant features declined by 17 per cent, shipping 75.2 million – down from 90.7 million.
This is according to according to the International Data Corporation (IDC) European Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker. The strong growth has been attributed by the success of Samsung and Huawei devices, and the recent launch of the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, both certified with an IP67 rating.
IDC European mobile devices research director Francisco Jeronimo said: “Accidental damage is responsible for 95% of smartphone failures. While many manufacturers try to compete through lower price points, others differentiate by improving the user experience with screen durability and resistance to liquids, the two most common causes for smartphone damage.”
“Nowadays, smartphones are used throughout the day, but with increasing usage comes a greater risk of accidents, such as dropping the device on the floor or into water. With the advance of nano-technology and better industrial design, liquid damage is a problem that should no longer exist.”
P2i CEO Ady Moores added: “Water resistance has very quickly become an expected feature on high end smartphones, but very soon, we can expect to see the demand for such functionality on devices at more economical price points. Nano-coating technologies can not only reduce the impact of accidental liquid exposure, but can do so without significantly increasing the price of the handset for the consumer.”