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Home / News / If you hate germs, you’ll love this washable soap-loving phone

If you hate germs, you’ll love this washable soap-loving phone

Never worry about sneezing on your smartphone again

Waterproof phones aren’t new, especially for Japanese gadgeteers who have been merrily dropping them into sinks and toilets for years, without a care in the world.

But now Kyocera has taken things one step further, by revealing a smartphone that you can run under the tap, or dip in the sink, before giving it a proper scrubbing with soap.

The spectacularly-named Dingo Rafre comes with a rubber duck-shaped stand to prop it up for some bath time TV watching, courtesy of its built-in digital TV tuner.

Its touchscreen itself is said to work as normal, even when wet, which leads us to believe that it could be a restive screen, rather than a capacitive affair.

The rear of the handset is also slathered in a self-healing material that sounds similar to that found on the LG G Flex 2, and built-in bone-conducting audio tech negates the need for a speaker, which would otherwise be prone to letting in water.

https://youtu.be/Vc6eNqoLeQs

Specs consist of a 720p 5in screen, 13MP camera and a 10.1mm thick body, which won’t blow you away, but on the plus side, you’ll be able to use it again after dropping it in a freshly-used litter box.

If you’re convinced, then you’ll have to fly over to Japan, fork out ¥57,420 (£310), and accept the fact that it won’t work on UK networks. Probably best to be careful with your existing handset then, for the time being at least.

[Kyocera via The Verge]

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Esat has been a gadget fan ever since his tiny four-year-old brain was captivated by a sound-activated dancing sunflower. From there it was a natural progression to a Sega Mega Drive, a brief obsession with hedgehogs, and a love for all things tech. After 7 years as a writer and deputy editor for Stuff, Esat ventured out into the corporate world, spending three years as Editor of Microsoft's European News Centre. Now a freelance writer, his appetite for shiny gadgets has no bounds. Oh, and like all good human beings, he's very fond of cats.