Do you struggle to 'get on' with technology? Did 2015 see you run through a handful of iPhones, dropped in uncompromising locations (the loo/the street/somehow into a pint glass)?
You - or more specifically, your wallet - will be thrilled to learn that future versions of your favourite Apple gadget may contain self-healing and self-cleaning tech.
A recent publication from the US patent office has revealed that Apple was given the nod for an 'Automated Maintenance Of An Electronic Device' patent back in July 2014 - outlining a "method and system for performing maintenance, repair and recalibration functions on a portable electronic device so as to be undetected by the user."
In short, when you settle down for a night's sleep and leave your iPhone alone, it'll run an internal diagnostic before setting about to fix things like dead pixels in the screen, recalibrating the camera and ensuring your data connection is running optimally. It even outlines a function that sees the speakers play a loud tone to help remove any water that might have become trapped after a dunk - a solution that would only kick in when you're in a loud environment such as a concert.
Apple wouldn't be the first to produce a 'self-healing' handset: the LG G Flex and G Flex 2 both have a polymer coating on their case that can remove scratches and scuffs, demonstrated below.
While an aesthetic fix is great, Apple's ideas for a phone that could resolve more pressing internal issues would be a welcome advancement (no one enjoys queuing at an Apple store to be told they just need to reset their phone). Here's hoping they happen.
[Via: TechRadar]
