Skip to main content

Want to take a bath … with your phone? You can with the Kyocera Rafre

Ah, the shower. One of life’s simplest and yet most satisfying pleasures. If cleaning off after a long day is a renewing experience for you, it stands to reason that other entities in your life would also benefit from a nice rinse. Certainly, your phone would. After all, it goes through everything with you, and probably picks up a disturbing quantity of germs along the way. And now, you can buy a phone that can go everywhere you go — including the bath.

Meet the new Kyocera rafre, a phone that is not only water resistant, but capable of withstanding a serious scrub, complete with hot water and soap. It’s actually the second Kyocera phone to sport such capabilities, though this handset is even more advanced than its predecessor. Kyocera first introduced a washable phone back in December of 2015, but has apparently improved its wash-resistant skills in the last couple years.

Recommended Videos

Of course, if you’re looking to buy this phone for its actual technical specs, you won’t be too impressed. It’s got a 3,000mAh battery, runs Android 7.0 Nougat, features 2GB RAM, and has a 5-inch HD display. But of course, you’re probably just buying this phone for bragging rights, right?

Alas, the Kyocera Rafre will only be available in Japan when it launches in March, so if you’re an American with a need for a web-surfing bubble-bath companion, you’re going to have to look for something other than a smartphone. That said, if the Rafre proves popular in its home country (and why wouldn’t it?) it may make its way around the globe.

It’s unclear as of yet what pricing will look like, but we do know the phone will be available in pale pink, clear white, and light blue.

Lulu Chang
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Fascinated by the effects of technology on human interaction, Lulu believes that if her parents can use your new app…
You can officially download the TikTok app again on Android phones
Download page for TikTok app on Android in the US.

The TikTok app has not returned to the Google Play Store or Apple’s App Store, ever since it went dark in the US with a ban looming over its head. That means fresh downloads are not possible on Android and Apple smartphones. Things have finally eased, at least for Android fans.

The official TikTok website now lists the software package that lets users download the app directly, instead of an app repository such as the Google Play Store. Third-party websites have hosted the app's software bundle for a while, but that route usually comes with the risk of malware.

Read more
iPhone 7 owners are getting $200 in class action lawsuit, and here’s how you can track yours
iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus.

Settlement payout from the iPhone 7 class action lawsuit against Apple are starting to roll out. Those who participated in the class action lawsuit have started to receive payments, with amounts varying based on whether you spent any money on repairing the iPhone 7 or the iPhone 7 Plus.

Some of the co-applicants in the lawsuit have started to receive around $200 as part payment from the $35 million settlement, 9to5Mac reported. While the payout is less than the maximum of $350 initially approved by the court, it should still feel satisfactory to the appellants.

Read more
Is your Fitbit getting too hot? Google wants to give you $50
Wearing a Fitbit Sense 2 while working at a desk.

Google has issued a warning for the Fitbit Sense and Fitbit Versa 3. A "limited number" of the smart wearables are at risk of overheating with the potential to cause burns, so it isn't every single Sense or Versa 3 model. A firmware update began rolling out yesterday and will continue to do so over the next month, and Google says that affected customers — those with devices at risk of overheating — could be eligible to receive $50 in compensation.

The firmware update will reduce the chance the battery will overheat, but it comes at the expense of capacity. The wearables won't have the same battery length as they once did, according to TechRadar. This isn't the first time Fitbit has run into problems like this; in 2022, the Fitbit Ionic caused several burns and resulted in refunds. There was also a report of an exploding Fitbit in 2017, too, though the company claims it isn't responsible for that incident.

Read more