Sony’s Released A Worthwhile Waterproof Phone

Waterproof phones have been around for ages. But to be waterproof, there are little flappy covers on the ports. Like the MicroUSB card port. And these covers always break off. Always.
But now there’s the Sony Xperia M4 Aqua, an Android smartphone that’s waterproof without those annoying caps. The microUSB port is naked but, sadly, there is still a cover on the SD Card slot.
The rest of the phone is on par with other mid-range phones. There are 13MP/5MP cameras and an octa-core 64-bit Snapdragon 615 powers the Lollipop device. Sony notes that the phone has a two day battery life.
Sony notes that the phone is waterproof under a few conditions. First, the phone cannot be submerged past 1.5 meters so you’re out of luck if you throw it in the deep end. Next, salt water is not advised and the phone should only be chlorinated water occasionally and it needs to be rinsed off afterward. And of course, before the phone is recharged, the USB port needs to be dry.

The M4 Aqua will have a starting price of 299 EUR and will be available in 80 countries, but not the U.S. Sony tells us that the company is focusing on its flagship offering in the States.
The M4 Aqua is only waterproof to a point. Yet that point is distinctly farther under the water than any other major cell phone maker. I wouldn’t take the M4 Aqua swimming, but I wouldn’t have any issue reading a Kindle book on the phone while taking my nightly bath.