The new Digno Rafre by Kyocera is calling itself the world’s first soap-proof washable smartphone. Waterproof phones are nice for hygiene since you can always give them a light wash. I suppose there might be another reason a soap-proof phone is useful: you can use it in the kitchen, the bath tub, or other environments without worrying that a splash of soap and water will turn your phone into a useless lump of dead electronics. It comes in three colors a user can keep sparkling clean: white, pink and navy.
The Rafre is said to have a touch panel that works even when wet; it’s not clear if this just means the screen is resistive. In keeping with the concept of a phone that stays pristine, the Rafre also has a “scratch-healing” finish that sounds like what LG’s been doing on some of its phones over the past couple of years. Another addition that may have helped the Rafre’s durable nature is Kyocera’s Smart Sonic Receiver, the bone-conducting technology that provides audio without a speaker.
“Speaking about the specs, Rafre features a 5” 720p display, 2GB of RAM, and 16GB storage expandable using microSD card along with a 13MP rear camera and a 3,000mAh battery inside a 10.1mm-thick frame.The Digno Rafre also has a “scratch-healing” finish to avoid damage from accidental bumps and drops, and its body is said to “recover naturally”, just like the back of recent LG smartphones.
Overall we suppose it does seem like a novel device, but if you’re the sort that hates dirt and germs, especially when you lend your phone to someone else, then perhaps a phone that can withstand a good cleaning every now and then might be a good idea. The display is equipped with Asahi Glass’ Dragontrail X flexible glass to prevent the screen from cracking if dropped.It’ll be released next Friday in Japan through carrier KDDI for ¥57,420, or about $465.
