Though Apple has not mentioned it in its iPhone 7 presentation, speculation is rife that the iPhone7 would feature resistance against water infiltration. The speculation has been sparked by the fact that earlier this year iPhone 6s and 6s Plus were found to have a built-in gasket. According to www.bgr.com, which cited unconfirmed reports, the iPhone 7 will possibly be waterproof. According to the report, although Apple was not commenting on reports such as these, its actions showed it was aiming for a waterproof iPhone at some point in the future, just like what it did to the iPhone 6s, though it was not fully water resistant. The article further said that the Business Insider had come across a new patent application called the "Electronic Device with Hidden Connector." The technology would automatically seal an opening, like headphone and USB ports, reportedly using an elastomer that would be able to expand and seal the opening the moment the connector was removed. This would protect the opening from accidental water damage since liquid would not be able to get into the device, assuming that the elastomer completely sealed-off before any liquid got in. Meanwhile, The Verge, reported that the material was rubber that could ''lose and regain its shape to keep the sensitive inner-workings of a device protected.'' A rubber seal which would enclose the ports on the device, such as for the power cord and when a plug was being inserted the flexible rubber enclosing would make way for it. With the removal of the plug, the rubber would then take its original shape and enclose the port. Besides water, the elastomer would offer protection against dust, debris and gas. Source: domain-b.com, Image: https://upload.wikimedia.org
Google might be considering making its own Android handset, according to a new report. If confirmed, the move could put pressure on its original equipment manufacturer (OEM) partners to create better handsets. The report comes days after Google was said to be in talks with chip-makers to make its custom-designed processors. Currently, the company relies on its hardware partners to design and manufacture handsets and tablets. While it does maintain a Nexus program in which it controls the design and user experience aspects of the devices, the hardware is still manufactured by its partners. According to a report by The Information, the company is mulling whether it should make its own handsets. It is not a stranger to manufacturing devices. The Pixel C tablet it launched alongside the Nexus 6P and Nexus 5X was manufactured by Google. In fact, the Pixel lineup of Chromebook PCs is also designed by Google. If it does decide to design and manufacture its devices, the move could set a benchmark for other manufacturers to follow. This would push its partners to manufacture better products as they will be directly competing with Google. But at the same time, it could strain its relationships with existing partners. The company briefly-owned the smartphone company Motorola. But seemingly to avoid friction with its own partners, it intentionally didn't try to make any bold moves. Major partners like Samsung are already losing their grip on the market to smaller rivals from China, such as Xiaomi and Lenovo, and the South Korean company in particular has been looking for a while to reduce its reliance on Google, with efforts like bada OS and Tizen OS. The report comes shortly after The Information also reported that Google was in talks with chipset makers to manufacture its custom-designed processors. But as seems to be the case with Android OEMs, chipmakers might also not like the idea of manufacturing processors dictated by Google, as they stand to lose the chance to provide cutting edge technologies that distinguish their work from rivals. There are several conflicting reports around what Google really has planned in the smartphone space. On the one hand, it has reportedly agreed to give its Android One partners more leeway on the hardware front, while on the other hand it wants to set an example of how its devices should be made. It will be interesting to see how things pan out at Google in the coming months. 
