Why The iPhone 7 Could Be Your Next Underwater Buddy

The iPhone 7 is not a major refresh of the current iPhone 6 and iPhone 6s, but Apple may still have big plans for the former to ensure that it does well in the market. And it seems that the Cupertino-headquartered tech company has set its eyes on making the soon-to-be-announced handset capable of taking good photos underwater.

According to Quartz, a patent for a technology that would enable the iPhone 7 to balance the colors of images captured underwater has been granted to Apple this week. With this patent in place, the upcoming iPhone is expected to be waterproof because that would be a necessity if users are going to dive into pools and other bodies of water to take photos.

The patent does not include any explanation on how this technology works, but it does mention that it is one for mobile devices like the company’s iPhones and iPads. Since Apple has yet to produce waterproof devices, it isn't hard to tell that the patent is intended for future iPhones and iPads, and this could start with the iPhone 7.

Because the idea that Apple’s iPhone 7 could be waterproof is already out of the bag, it is now being linked to the Cupertino company’s decision to remove the headphone jack from the smartphone which has since been the center of controversy and debate. After all, the headphone jack is the easiest place for water to penetrate the device.

Still, despite having another reason to remove the headphone jack from the iPhone 7, The Verge maintains that ditching the universal audio port just makes the smartphone worse, since accessibility of Lightning, USB-C and other devices that could be paired up with the new iPhone is questionable. Furthermore, the tech site stated that Apple made a wrong move with this one because, clearly, no one asked for it to do so.

However, looking at it from a business point of view, The Telegraph claims Apple is just doing something that would enable it to grow and earn more in a market where releasing similar upgrades on smartphone displays, cameras and such have become very common. In response to this trend, Apple is making a bold move of removing a defining feature of the iPhone since it was launched back in 2007.

Interestingly, disregarding or removing universal technologies from its products is not new to Apple. Its iPhones have thrived quite well without even housing removable batteries. It has dropped the floppy disk, the laptop DVD drive and has recently regulated the use of Adobe Flash on its Safari browser. Considering all these, Apple really had the audacity to make things with its own ambitions in mind, and yet its products are being patronized by millions all over the world. Does this mean Apple could get away with removing the headphone jack in favor of a waterproof iPhone 7? It is a little too early to tell, but history does tend to repeat itself and that’s that.