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

[MacRumors]

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."

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.”

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?

[MarximusMG]

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]

IMO - The iPhone is thin enough!

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

[ARF900]

I had one of these with my 3g, still have it, have used it before.

[FnuGk]

what about using this stuff for macbooks?

[phillipjfry]

Awww Shi-

[Daschund]

Does that tool comes with the iPhone? I've never seen it before...

[Eddyisgreat]

"That's my metal," he said. "I recognized it immediately. Take it from an expert, that's Liquidmetal."

dang bro it's just an apple designed paperclip

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.

[canucksfan88]

Originally Posted by phillipjfry

Awww Shi-

yea...that was the first thing that came to mind when i saw "liquid metal"

[Compile 'em all]

Liquid Metal \m/

[Eriamjh1138@DAN]

Apple: Reinventing the paper clip

[sharpycl]

Originally Posted by phillipjfry

Awww Shi-

so apple is skynet??

parently we should all be worried about this concept. Soon liquid metal will gain it's own AI and go after bill gates.

[hlfway2anywhere]

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.

[wesk702]

Can't change battery complaints in 3...2...1...

[fabian9]

Originally Posted by hlfway2anywhere

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.

I take it you've had problems with your sim ejector tool? what happened?

[NebulaClash]

Makes sense. Apple is already creating Star Trek devices, might as well use Star Trek technology to make them.

[t0mat0]

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]

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?

[shanmugam]

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

[spblat]

Originally Posted by Daschund

Does that tool comes with the iPhone? I've never seen it before...

Not anymore. It was included with 3G and (I think) 3GS.

[fkhan3]

Originally Posted by hlfway2anywhere

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.

you're holding it wrong

[Consultant]

Yeah, need to find mine to see if I got that.

Originally Posted by shanmugam

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

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]

The metal's name is just so cool-- how can this thread not have more comments? Here's me adding to it.

[Dusse]

Originally Posted by azentropy

IMO - The iPhone is thin enough!

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

Thinner enclosure does not equal thinner phone. They might just as well make bigger battery etc.

[daveathall]

Omega use it on their Planet Ocean Liquid Metal watch, check it out, its a stunning watch, not cheap though.