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In the course of the late 2000s, the expectation {that a} cell phone can be waterproof was distinctive to Japan. In most different international locations, waterproofing wasn’t a normal characteristic. In Japan, nonetheless, the excessive incidence of water-related injury drove firms to prioritize this characteristic and greater than 90% of cellphones offered have been waterproof again then.
This pattern emerged on account of frequent situations of water injury, usually attributable to the favored behavior of taking telephones into the bathtub, notably amongst Japanese ladies.
You can buy waterproof cellphones at main electronics retailers, equivalent to Bic Digicam and Yodobashi Digicam, or at devoted cellular provider shops like NTT Docomo, SoftBank, and au. These retailers usually carried telephones designed to cater particularly to the Japanese market, emphasizing options like waterproofing and infrequently together with different Japan-specific functionalities, equivalent to digital TV tuners and cellular fee programs.
One of many earliest waterproof characteristic telephones, Casio’s Canu 502S (also referred to as the G’zOne), was launched in 2005. This cellphone marked the start of a broader marketplace for waterproof electronics in Japan, which even included waterproof TVs.
As of 2024, roughly 90-95% of cellphones offered in Japan are waterproof. It is a continuation of that long-standing pattern pushed by cultural habits. Globally, the state of affairs is totally different. Whereas waterproof telephones have gained great recognition, they’re nonetheless not as ubiquitous. About 60% of smartphones worldwide are estimated to be waterproof, with many high-end units that includes IP67 or IP68 scores.
