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Liquid Metal Used in iPhone 3G SIM Tool, Next iPhone Too?

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macrumors bot
Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
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120644-Liquidmetal_SIM_Pin_500.jpg


Cult of Mac revealed yesterday that Apple had already started testing the manufacturing capabilities of Liquid Metal for one small component of the iPhone 3G -- the SIM eject tool. Atakan Peker the co-inventor of the alloy recognized the metal immediately when he saw it:
"That's my metal," he said. "I recognized it immediately. Take it from an expert, that's Liquidmetal."
Click to expand...
Apple reportedly sourced the part from Liquidmetal Technologies as a test of the company's manufacturing capabilities. Not all the iPhone 3Gs shipped with the Liquidmetal SIM tool. European iPhone 3Gs were said to have shipped with regular steel pins.

Meanwhile, other former LiquidMetal Technology executives have speculated that Apple will be building their next iPhone out of the alloy.
“I think they’re going to make the iPhone out of it,” said Dr. Jan Schroers, the former director of research at Liquidmetal Technologies, the first company to commercially develop the space-age technology. ”It’s quite obvious from what Liquidmetal has done in the past and what the technology is capable of.”
Click to expand...
According to Schroers, Apple could create intricate seamless enclosures by blow-molding the melted alloy like glass. The resultant structure could be thinner and stronger than existing Apple hardware enclosures.

Article Link: Liquid Metal Used in iPhone 3G SIM Tool, Next iPhone Too?
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2010/08/17/liquid-metal-used-in-iphone-3g-sim-tool-next-iphone-too/
MarximusMG

MarximusMG

macrumors 6502a
Jan 21, 2009
699
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Denver
Very interesting! Would the next revision of the iPhone really incorporate this as a major part of the design? I'd think it would take longer before we saw it as the major metal that is used in it. But we'll see! :)
 
azentropy

azentropy

macrumors 601
Jul 19, 2002
4,021
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Surprise
IMO - The iPhone is thin enough!

Any thinner and it will feel too flimsy in the hand, even if it is structurally rigid.
 
ARF900

ARF900

macrumors 65816
Oct 30, 2009
1,119
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I had one of these with my 3g, still have it, have used it before.
 
E

Eddyisgreat

macrumors 601
Oct 24, 2007
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"That's my metal," he said. "I recognized it immediately. Take it from an expert, that's Liquidmetal."
Click to expand...

dang bro it's just an apple designed paperclip :D

anywho well if that's apparently it then...not bad work. I really couldn't tell a difference but then again I never had to take out the sim card.
 
H

hlfway2anywhere

Cancelled
Jul 15, 2006
1,544
2,338
if thats the crap they made the SIM removal tool out of, then it's flimsy and i wouldn't want something built from it. Maybe internals, but not externals.
 
NebulaClash

NebulaClash

macrumors 68000
Feb 4, 2010
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Makes sense. Apple is already creating Star Trek devices, might as well use Star Trek technology to make them.
 
t0mat0

t0mat0

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Aug 29, 2006
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So is the iPhone 4's SIM eject tool LIquid Metal? Or do we have to smelt it down and see how much it bounces in a glass tube?
 
iZac

iZac

macrumors 68030
Apr 28, 2003
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Baby steps, Apple :)

I dont know how much this is about making the device much thinner, but more about making it more structurally rigid and resilient to the day-to-day buffeting that a phone gets.

It was suggested that this metal reflects rather than absorbs considerably more kinetic energy than materials like aluminium and stainless steel, would that suggest that it would carry less shockwaves though the phone, to more likely protect that delicate lump of glass wedged inside?
 
S

Shanpdx

macrumors 68030
Sep 24, 2008
2,534
346
Blazer town!
shelf life of iPhone is at the max is 3 years (considering software updates for original iPhone) what is the point of making near unbreakable iPhones?

looks cool, does it have purpose?

may be use in macbook/macbookpros
 
Consultant

Consultant

macrumors G5
Jun 27, 2007
13,314
34
Yeah, need to find mine to see if I got that.


shanmugam said:
shelf life of iPhone is at the max is 3 years (considering software updates for original iPhone) what is the point of making near unbreakable iPhones?

looks cool, does it have purpose?

may be use in macbook/macbookpros
Click to expand...

There are all the an*l types that can't take any sign of use. OMG it has a scratch that I can see under a microscope, my life is ruined!
 
vincenz

vincenz

macrumors 601
Oct 20, 2008
4,285
220
The metal's name is just so cool-- how can this thread not have more comments? Here's me adding to it. :D
 
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