The Japan-based Kyocera Corp. is launching the world’s first soap-proof smartphone, a phone that’s impermeable to both water and foam soap. Digno Rafre, as the device is called, will be available in Japan beginning this week for ¥57,000, which is roughly $470.
In case you haven’t heard, smartphones and other frequently used electronics like keyboards and mice, are among the most bacteria-ridden items we encounter on a daily basis. So much so, that these items surpass most toilet seats in the level of germy-ness by nearly 10 times. One lab test even found an unnaturally high level of bacteria associated with fecal contamination in the phones it tested.
As much as some of us would like to get our hands on this germophobic-friendly device, particularly those of us with children, the phone will not be marketed overseas, reports the Wall Street Journal. Nor can we import it; while the phone is listed as having a “bilingual function,” that odds of the second language being English are extremely low.
Digno Rafre measures 7.1 x 14.1 x 1.1 cm, and weighs 155 grams. It runs Lollipop OS (Android 5.1) and features a 5-inch 720p display that’s usable even if wet, a 13-megapixel camera, 2GB of RAM, 16GB or internal storage with external memory capacity of up to 128GB. The CPU capacity is unlisted on the spec section of the translated webpage.
If you can procure or use the Digno Rafre, then the next best solution is to periodically disinfect it with some Lysol. After all, phones have become nearly symbiotically attached to our person, near us at all times, even when we’re sleeping.
Source: Digitaltrends, Wallstreet Journal, and KDDI
Advertisement
Learn more about Electronic Products Magazine
