Apple has patented a new “underwater water user interface” for the iPhone.
Have you ever dreamed of using your iPhone while diving? While swimming with fish during an underwater expedition? Well, your time could be near.
A patent was published this week by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), showcasing a design for a new underwater-friendly user interface that could be featured on a new iPhone in the future. Apple’s newest iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro are not designed to be used underwater and can only be immersed in water for 30 minutes at a maximum depth of six meters.
The patent, filed in 2021 and recently published, reveals how a future iPhone could detect when it is underwater and adjust its user interface to a simpler version of iOS that is easier to navigate while swimming underwater. The image below shows a design of what that potential interface could look like underwater, featuring two comically large fish.
Image credit: USPTO/Apple
Apple’s most underwater-friendly device is the Apple Watch Ultra 2, which is water-resistant up to 100 meters and can be used as a dive computer in recreational diving up to 40 meters.
It’s unclear when we could see a future iPhone feature this new interface or a more waterproof design. This patent was just published, so we likely won’t see it in this year’s upcoming iPhone.
Image credit: USPTO/Apple
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