Reviveaphone rescues wet phones, survives Dragon's Den

Reviveaphone claims to rescue and resuscitate a water-damaged phone -- and it's won backing in the Dragon's Den. We tried it out.

Richard Trenholm

Richard Trenholm was CNET's film and TV editor, covering the big screen, small screen and streaming. A member of the Film Critic's Circle, he's covered technology and culture from London's tech scene to Europe's refugee camps to the Sundance film festival.

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Richard Trenholm

Nov. 29, 2013 10:06 a.m. PT

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If you've ever felt your world go into slow motion as your phone plummeted towards a watery grave, then say hello to Reviveaphone. Reviveaphone claims to rescue and resuscitate a phone, camera or other gadget that's taken the plunge into a toilet, pint or swimming pool -- and it's even survived the Dragon's Den.

20-year-old Oliver Murphy from Chelmsford, Essex, impressed dragon Kelly Hoppen enough that she's invested in his invention, which you'll see in the new series of the BBC Two show in the new year.

The kit consists of a silvered pouch, a plastic tray and a bottle of chemical-y stuff. When your phone or other gadget takes a dunking, you bung it in the pouch with the chemical solution for 7 minutes, then stick it in the plastic tray to dry.

The chemical solution removes corrosive mineral deposits that can damage the phone if allowed to remain inside, stinking up its innards. It's designed to work up to a month after your phone has been for a swim, so you don't even have to buy it until you need it.

Does it work?

So now the acid -- or rather water -- test: does it work? We tried a quick and dirty test with a cheap Nokia 100 phone supplied by Reviveaphone. Click through the pictures to see how it works -- and find out if our hapless test subject survived its swim.

We should point out that the Nokia 100 is a far cry from a more sophisticated and delicate smart phone such as the iPhone, not to mention the fact that the battery comes out. Still, once your blower has done a burton into the drink, it's not like you've got anything to lose by trying to dry it out.

The Reviveaphone kit costs £15 direct from the company's website. For a cheaper alternative -- and for more on what you definitely shouldn't do with a damp dog and bone -- here's our handy guide to saving a wet or water-damaged mobile phone.

Has your phone survived a close encounter with water? Tell me your story and useful phone-drying tips in the comments or on our thoroughly splash-proof Facebook page.