Some of you know that I am very interested in anything that can make a phone water-repellent. At CES, I was very pleased with Liquipel, and I couldn’t help but wonder why in the world cellular phone companies don’t have water-resistant coatings from the very start.

I found out from other tech minds (who I hope are non-cynical) that most carriers are glad when people drop their phones in the toilet. You heard me right. Because then they have to pay for a new phone, which fills their pockets to overflowing. Unfortunately, a lot of people have been switching carriers, as they need to get a new phone anyway.

In other words, it is bad for business for cell phone manufacturers not to have a water-resistant coating like the one from P2i. I met P2i at Showstoppers at CTIA last night, and I was aghast to see a Samsung Galaxy S4 at the bottom of a bucket. Of course, it had P2i’s coating on it, and the representative told me that if cell phone companies were to take it upon themselves, all smartphones could have this feature. Check out some more alarming facts about cell phones and water damage after the jump.

Check out these facts:

• 42 per cent have experienced accidental water damage
• 54 per cent take their phone into the toilet
• 70 per cent take their phone into the rain
• Although more women than men take their phone into the bath, more men than women dropped it in the water.

Okay, so carriers are suffering due to people’s inability not to dunk their phones. Insurance companies want this kind of protection. What is it going to take before water-resistant coatings will be on any phone?

My source at P2i estimates in the next 3-5 years, cell phone manufacturers will cave and provide this service. I would say that I would like it to come sooner, but we will see what actually happens.