2020 Promises Waterproof Phones with Virtual Buttons

We’ve all had those days where we watch slowly and painfully as our phone fumbles out of our hand and makes its way into the pristine and inviting water in your sink or at the beach. And the mere thought of the level of anxiety and internal-screaming that memory results in can make you hold your phone tighter. But gone are the days when smartphones were afraid of water. In a string of efforts to make our devices waterproof, sleeker, and more good-looking, 2020 is going to see the introduction of waterproof phones with virtual buttons. 

Waterproof Phones and Virtual Buttons: UltraSense is Here

We’ve seen Android and iPhones shedding ports, buttons, and headphones for a larger screen and cleaner look. But now, we see the future of waterproof phones with virtual buttons embedded with sensors to help you do what you need to. With such protection, you could even start using your smartphone as a possible business tool. Conduct office calls on your personal line, utilize features like call forwarding and call tracking offered by a virtual business phone service provider, work with business apps, and more from anywhere, even a beach in the Seychelles, if you’re so inclined!

UltraSense is a start-up company researching and developing a new user interface that “differentiates products and enables new applications” through 3D ultrasound technology. UltraSense’s sensor is a tiny chip package which is 1.4mm by 2.4mm wide and 0.5mm deep. This System-on-Chip (SoC) sensor, called TouchPoint, can determine if a button is pressed based on sound waves dispersed or reflected. 

A single sensor can eliminate a mechanical button. Multiple sensors, on the other hand, can support surface gestures. And it can also tell when not to respond, for example, from splashing water or if something bumps against the phone. Interestingly, these sensors work under different materials like metal, plastic, wood, leather, and glass. And so, virtual buttons are born.

Meizu Zero: No Buttons, No Holes, No Ports

The Meizu Zero is a phone built with the vision of a button-, hole-, and jack-free device. In fact, the Meizu Zero doesn’t even have speakers like other phones generally do. This phone features the company’s “mSound 2.0” technology that enables sound to come out of the screen itself. Its 5.99” OLED screen has a built-in fingerprint scanner and a selfie camera for facial recognition. And the only way to charge the phone is through wireless charging. One thing to note, however, is that the phone is water-resistant but is not waterproof. It comes close, however, its super-tiny pinholes for a microphone and for hard-resetting make it vulnerable.

Best Waterproof Phones in 2020

Now, UltraSense is going to take some time to hit the market. And so, if you are already in the market for a waterproof phone, here’s a list of some of the best phones to keep your eyes on:

• iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max

• iPhone 11

• Google Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL

• Samsung Galaxy S10, S10 Plus, and S10e

• Samsung Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10 Plus

• iPhone XR

• Samsung Galaxy Note 9

• iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus

• Sony Xperia 1

• LG G8X

Technology of the Future

Waterproof phones and virtual buttons are just the beginning. Soon, laptops, refrigerators, and other appliances will use these sensors. It can also find use in automotive and medical areas. They can then work with gestures and swipes instead of tactile touching. Before we know it, we will have more devices and appliances that are cheaper to produce, cleaner in appearance, more efficient to use, and waterproof. The future is here. Are you ready to embrace it?