This is really a suggestion for future phones. My understanding of the good chemical barriers that have come to the fore in the last year or two to provide waterproofing, is that they require consideration at the early design stage, to make sure the mechanical configuration allows there to be a stage in the production line where the components can be exposed to a vapour in a vacuum. The first iteration of this phone is far beyond that stage, and you great guys at Purism should focus all your efforts on making this phone serviceable and getting it to production, safe in the knowledge that we backing you are proud of your work, want you to take as long as it needs, to keep it simple, and make it work reliably.
So that caveat out of the way, device convergence means that this phone will (I hope) be my only computer. I want to be able to make it very robust. There are plenty of 3D printing companies that can crank out some kind of rubberised protective case or bumpers for some physical protection. That’s not the case for extremely reliable waterproofing, and I’d hope that companies providing chemical barriers (such as P2i) would recognise that a future where one’s phone is also one’s desktop or laptop computer is a future that means a lot of people want that phone to be waterproof… and a lot of business for waterproofing companies.
I don’t expect those companies to discount the upgrade, but I’d hope that it would at least make them keen to engage with Purism. Personally, I’d pay a premium even for a phone that was just fleetingly submersible in water.
If any other readers have strong feelings, or can see a different route to my getting a phone that can be reliably waterproofed, I’d be grateful for the steer.
Yours with heartfelt thanks for your hard work, and assurance that taking your time and getting it right is the most important thing about your endeavour,
Al
