A new waterproofing coating for phones will keep components protected for two hours - even if water penetrates the casing of the phone.

Of course waterproofing of phones is nothing new, but it's the duration of protection here that's groundbreaking - up to IPX8. 

The coating is called, appropriately, Dunkable and has been developed by UK-based P2i. 

Sony, Lenovo, Huawei, Motorola and Xiaomi are some of the phone makers that have used the company's coatings in the past and so we'd suggest they'd be among the manufacturers most likely to adopt the tech first. P2i says the coating will be coming to devices in 2019. 

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The most interesting aspect of the coating is that it will even protect devices over a long period if there is a crack in the screen or the casing is broken. The coating is inert, and does not degrade through impact, heat or other environmental stress. It also doesn't cause a problem if it comes into contact with solvents. 

Mechanical seals used by some manufacturers only act as a barrier to water and take up valuable room inside the case. 

As the global phone market slows people are holding onto the devices for longer, but as we know devices are more fragile. However, technologies like Dunkable are wanted by phone buyers and waterproofing is fast becoming an essential feature. 

You can check out Dunkable in action here: