Kyocera Rafre: The Smartphone You Can Wash

In January of this year, Kyocera Corporation announced a new rafre smartphone. It’s available for the Japanese phone service provider KDDI Corporation. The new smartphone is resistant against hand soap and water (hot and cold), and the second-generation model will be resistant against foaming body soap as well. The product is expected to hit markets in March 2017 in Japan.

The phone — which will be available in pale pink, clear, and light blue — has the ability to be used even when the user’s hands are wet and when they are wearing gloves, unlike various other phone models. Perfect for professional and amateur chefs, the phone also has special apps that let the user look at recipes, answer the phone, and set timers, all while their hands are dirty.

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The Various Features of the Smartphone

In addition to the water-resistant design, the phone also has several other impressive features. This includes a 130-megapixel camera that works well even in low-light conditions and shade, with their proprietary AINOS Engine. It also has a weather forecast alarm clock that rings and reads the weather forecast aloud all at once. It even has the capability to go off earlier on days when it is raining to account for any possible weather delays in the morning commute.

The company released their first water-resistant phone in December 2015, but the newest model has more wash-resistant capabilities than the initial version. The phone’s other details include a 5-inch display with 720p HD resolution, 3,000mAh battery, and 16GB of storage. The phone can also hold up to 200GB of external memory, and it runs Android 7.0 Nougat.

This new model has a Blue Light Cut app that is easier on the eyes and reduces fatigue during long lengths of use. Some of the main advantages (of all of the phone’s features) include being able to use it in the shower or bathtub, not worrying about getting caught in the rain or snow, and being able to freely use the phone at places like the beach or near a swimming pool.

Pricing and Future Availability

No pricing information about the phone has been released, and as of yet there is no news about whether or not the phone will be available outside of Japan. However, if the phone proves to be popular, there is speculation that the technology could soon spread to Europe and the United States.