Modern expensive flagships are protected from water ingress, but it is impossible to use modern touchscreens underwater because they cannot accurately recognize finger touches. This problem occurs even if your fingers are slightly damp or if a few drops get on the glass.
A new Apple patent describes a new touchpoint recognition technology – if standard capacitive screens react to conductive objects, the new display will detect the pressure you press. Only this will not work like in 3D Touch technology when you need to press hard on the screen, and this display detects even light pressure when your finger touches the surface. So the smartphone will be able to detect touches even underwater or with wet hands.
Also, the patent describes a special algorithm for calibration so that the screen can accurately determine whether it is a finger touch or a failure of the sensor layer due to water. The implication is that over time, the smartphone will learn to recognize touches in any conditions more accurately.
It is not yet clear whether smartphones will automatically detect that they have been submerged underwater or that their fingers are wet, or for this, it will be necessary to activate a special screen mode in advance – for example, to shoot video underwater. Most likely, the company will need several years to implement this idea in new iPhones.