Waterproof mobiles make a splash: Mobile World Congress in Barcelona

The ability to work inside a fish tank is not high on most people’s wish lists when it comes to buying a new smartphone.

But at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, several major manufacturers were putting the waterproof credentials of their devices ahead of more conventional selling points such as processor power.

While some handset manufacturers are looking at more effective rubber seals to protect devices for unexpected dunks and spills, high-tech companies are also springing up offering nano-coating technology as alternative protection.

Liquipel, based in southern California, announced at Mobile World Congress that it was expanding its operations to Australia, Brazil and China.

The company encourages mobile owners to send their devices through the post so they can be coated with what it describes as a "revolutionary water shield."

Company President Danny McPhail said: "You won’t want to go swimming with it, but in the event it does come into contact with water, you’ll be protected.

"Talking in the rain, texting in the shower, and playing Angry Birds in the shower is all possible."

He said devices are placed into a machine which draws in the proprietary liquid formulation as a dry vapor, coating the device inside and out.

British company P2i, a few stands away at Mobile World Congress, uses a similar process, but works directly with manufacturers, rather than consumers.