Summer and technology have never been the best combination: beach, pool, sand, blows … They are all dangerous enemies of the gadgets that accompany us daily, such as our mobile phones, cameras, eBooks …
Apparently, the most effective solution to avoid any disappointment in these situations is to detach ourselves from them for a few hours and leave them at home. However, there are “fixes” such as waterproof covers , which can be useful when the approach between technology and water and sand is inevitable.
In addition, it seems that innovation and improvements are on our side and there are more and more devices created specifically to withstand these summer drawbacks , so you can take them and enjoy them during your holidays without having to worry. We review them:
Waterproof phones
The mobile phone is, without a doubt, the gadget that we use the most and the one that costs us the most. Manufacturers know this and therefore resistance to water, dust and shock has been one of the technical specifications in which it has invested the most in recent years.
The Sony Xperia Z was the first terminal to introduce this feature that has gradually been extended to other phones. In any case, we must bear in mind that the current models that have this feature are state-of-the-art and high-end phones that represent a considerable outlay.
Currently mobiles such as iPhone 7 and iPhone 7+ , Samsung Galaxy S8+ and Galaxy S7 Edge or LG G6 are sold as waterproof, although it is important to read the fine print. They are not aquatic mobiles, since most of them cannot be submerged at great depths or for long periods of time. They are generally submersible up to one meter and for a maximum of 30 minutes .
In fact, manufacturers do not guarantee that the terminal will not be affected and that the touch system cannot fail during the time of the dive. Actually, the goal is not that we can take pictures underwater, but rather that we don’t have to worry about rain, liquid spills or accidental dives .
Submersible cameras
The undisputed queen of aquatic cameras is the GoPro Hero , a model that offers a multitude of possibilities so that we can capture every moment of our summer. It can capture high-quality images, record HD video , and is also submersible up to 40 meters deep and for unlimited time . Its small size and the facilities to be attached to any equipment are the most outstanding advantages. As a main disadvantage, its price, which can amount to more than 400 euros.
For those who are not willing to pay this amount of money, there are more models on the market that, although they do not offer the same specifications as the GoPro, are of considerable quality and can provide us with the same service.
The Olympus TG 4 or Fujifilm FinePix XP90 are submersible models up to 15 meters deep and are also capable of recording video and taking photographs with great quality. The Panasonic FT30 is also an interesting model, as it can be submerged up to 8 meters , it is resistant to dust and dirt and also to drops of up to 1.5 meters.
Finally, other cameras such as the Nikon Coolpix W100 or the Easypix Aqua W1024-I are more affordable models, perfect to be used by the little ones.
Kobo Aura H2O, the aquatic eBook
Holidays are a perfect time to enjoy our free time reading a good book and more and more people prefer to do it through an eBook, due to the comfort they offer.
In the world of electronic books, it seems that the supremacy of the Amazon Kindle is coming to an end, as more and more brands are willing to compete with it, giving their new eBooks features that add value.
This is the case of the Kobo Aura H2O , which, like many of the mobiles we have previously referred to, boasts of having an IP67 resistance certificate . This means that the device can be submerged for a total of 30 minutes in a depth not exceeding one meter .
As in the case of mobile phones, the eBook is not intended to be read in the depths of the sea or the pool, but rather seeks that the user can take it to any humid place without having to think about whether it will get wet or not.
Waterproof headphones and speakers
If you are also one of those who can not stop listening to music or underwater, what you need is a water headphones. Models like the Sony Walkman NW-WS414B are perfect as they are submersible for up to 30 minutes at no more than two meters, withstand temperatures between -5 and 45 degrees and are also dust resistant. In addition, they have a battery of up to 12 hours.
But the possibilities do not end here. If you prefer to listen to music through a portable waterproof speaker, these devices also exist. Philips has a splash resistant model with a battery of about 8 hours of autonomy and Bluetooth to be able to synchronize it with your smartphone.
But if what you really want is to listen to music with your friends while you bathe, there is a small ball-shaped speaker, the iSplash Floating Speaker , which can play your music while floating in the water .
Submersible smartwatches
It may be that during the summer holidays you don’t want to be on your watch, but if you use your smartwatch to be connected to your mobile phone and it is good to always have it with you, even underwater , there are models that can be useful for you.
The Apple Watch may be one of the best smartwatches when it comes to water resistance, as a “swimproof” case has been incorporated , which allows us to bathe and swim with it to a depth of 50 meters.
Other devices such as the Gramin VivoActive or the pioneering Pebble Steel can also be connected to your mobile phone and have a 50-meter immersion resistance, so they have nothing to envy the Apple model.
In short, there are more and more devices that incorporate characteristics such as resistance to water, dust or falls. But the truth is that in most cases this feature is still quite incipient and has much to improve. At the moment, if we are going to use these specifications a little and do not want to spend large amounts of money, we can always opt for the protective waterproof cases that exist for most electronic devices.
