Liquipel claims it can if you use its product and other companies and services make similar claims.
To put them to the test, we do the unthinkable: submerge five iPhones in water.
It takes a while, but phones number 1 and 2 finally shows signs of problems after being dunked and swished several times for 10 seconds or longer.
Phone number 1 then goes into a container full of rice.
We let that phone sit overnight.
Phone number 2 goes to the iFixandrepair kiosk in the King of Prussia Mall for 24 hours. The diagnostic fee is $26. Expect to pay a total of about $60 for a fix.
Before phone 3 gets dunked, it gets put in the LifeProof case which retails new for $80 and claims to be waterproof for up to 6 feet. You can even scuba dive with it!
Now back to Liquipel.
Liquipel is invisible and claims to be the alternative to a waterproof phone or case, making your phone water safe from 80% of all liquid damage scenarios.
$60 for the coating treatment plus shipping.
After we send our phone into Liquipel, we get it wet but for only five seconds according to the company's instructions.
We're supposed to keep it powered down for five hours.
Now for our final test phone with water damage. We sent to a franchise called DryBox.
DryBox is coming to the Philadelphia area any day now.
David Naumann, a company rep, came to 6abc for a demonstration of its patent pending drying method, which claims to use three technologies to extract all moisture from phones and other devices.
"We have about an 80% success rate if the phone is dried out in a DryBox within 48 hours of exposure," Naumann said.
DryBox claims to work in just 25 minutes.
Now, let's get to some results.
First the iFixandrepair kiosk was a success!
Our iPhone 4 is dried out and working correctly once again.
Now time to check out our phone in the LifeProof case
The LifeProof case protected our phone even after the phone's submerged for 25 minutes.
As for the rice? This home remedy is a no go. The phone is dead.
Not so with the Liquipel phone. The treatment appears to work! The phone's in fine working order.
Same with our DryBox phone. No problems!
The manufacturer hopes retailers who offer DryBox will charge consumers as little as $20, but that price point could vary.
Watch 6abc.com Video: We've posted results of our test of the Samsung Galaxy S4 Active, which claims you can drop it in up to 3 feet of water for 30 minutes!
