Japanese Telecom Company KDDI To Launch Smartphone That Can Be Washed With Soap And Water

A Japanese telecommunication firm is set to launch a smartphone that can be washed with soap and water. The first of its kind smartphone will be an answer to users who are tired of having to deal with smudges and scratches on their devices.

Japan Times reported Friday that waterproof smartphones have been in the market for quite a while, however, KDDI Corporation said their Digno rafre phone will be the first smartphone that can resist a soapy wash.

"Our development team washed the smartphone more than 700 times to test its durability," a spokesman from KDDI says.

A commercial of the new smartphone was launched online to introduce the exceptional feature of the device. The online advertisement showed a mother washing the Digno rafre phone with soap and water after her child dropped the phone onto his food.

The advertisement entitled "World's first washable smartphone!" was uploaded on YouTube last December 2 and has garnered more than 62,000 as of Saturday.

A rough translation of its description stated that the new smartphone will be released in December 11.

Daily Mail forecasted Friday that the first of its kind smartphone would cost around 21,000 yen ($175). A spokesman from the Japanese firm added that their target audiences are parents who want to maintain the cleanliness of their devices for their children.

However, he added that not all foamy soaps can be used in cleaning KDDI's Digno rafre phone. Reports have revealed that the smartphone will be made available only in Japan for now.

Further reports have revealed that the new smartphone runs Android 5.1. It also has a 5-inch display with 16 megapixel rear camera and a 3,000mAh battery.

Here's the online commercial of KDDI's Digno rafre phone.