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Liquidmetal-Based iPhone 5 to Launch at WWDC in June?

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Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
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liquidmetal_alloy-150x92.jpg
Korean site ETNews.com claims that Apple is planning to use new "liquid metal" alloys in the iPhone 5 to yield a thinner and lighter device that is resistant to impact damage. Apple acquired the rights to Liquidmetal Technologies' "amorphous metal alloys" in August 2010 and soon after was spotted hiring engineers to work on the materials, but little concrete news on Liquidmetal's contributions to Apple has appeared since that time.
According to industry sources, the next flagship phones of [Apple and Samsung] are expected to adopt unprecedented materials for their main bodies, that is, ceramic for the Galaxy S3 and liquid metal for iPhone5, both being thin, light and highly resistant to external impacts. The new phase of the rivalry is because neither one of them can get a decisive edge over the other solely with its OS and AP specifications, features or design.
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The report also claims that the iPhone 5 will debut in June at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), returning to the mid-year launch schedule seen up until last year's launch of the iPhone 4S in October. Most observers expect, however, that the iPhone 5 will not launch until the later September-October timeframe this year as well.

ETNews does not have a lengthy track record regarding Apple rumors, although the site did incorrectly claim last year that the iPhone would launch in late June with a special event several weeks after WWDC. The site appears to have been more accurate with its January claim that Sharp had been cut out of the supply chain for the display in the new iPad. Sharp did experience difficulties meeting Apple's quality control standards for the display production, and is only now ramping up production to help meet demand.

Based on the source's unreliable track record, the preponderance of expectations pointing to a release later in the year, and a lack of corroborating claims regarding Apple's plans for Liquidmetal's alloys, we believe that this rumor is not particularly reliable. Consequently, we are posting this claim to our blog primarily for reader interest and discussion.

Article Link: Liquidmetal-Based iPhone 5 to Launch at WWDC in June?
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2012/04/18/liquidmetal-based-iphone-5-to-launch-at-wwdc-in-june/
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E

Esquire1

macrumors member
Jun 4, 2010
67
16
Based on the source's unreliable track record, the preponderance of expectations pointing to a release later in the year, and a lack of corroborating claims regarding Apple's plans for Liquidmetal's alloys, we believe that this rumor is not particularly reliable. Consequently, we are posting this claim to our blog primarily for reader interest and discussion.
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"We want page hits."
 
S

slnko-v-sieti

macrumors member
Aug 24, 2011
52
0
The new phase of the rivalry is because neither one of them can get a decisive edge over the other solely with its OS and AP specifications, features or design.
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Pretty sure I don't agree with that generalization. Hasn't the iPhone been crushing it precisely because of the edge it has when it comes to iOS, design, app store, &tc.?
 
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filmantopia

filmantopia

macrumors 6502a
Feb 5, 2010
859
2,460
They've got to do something fancy with the design because 4G capability alone may not be enough to attract people in droves. And what else are they going to do exactly? NFC?

Have we reached a hardware plateau with iOS devices (a la iPod classic)?

I'm sure Apple has some future plans for revolutions in the mobile arena. Maybe they're looking into the "goggle" tech similar to Google's project glass. Maybe not.
 
T

ThatsMeRight

macrumors 68020
Sep 12, 2009
2,294
262
It would be amazing if Apple announced the next iPhone in June! I always loved the atmosphere surrounding the WWDC.

It's also sort of a dealbreaker, my telecom contract expires this summer and than I'll pick a new phone - and it won't be the 4S (I'm ready for a new design and new features which the 4S doesn't really offer compared to the 4 (Siri does not work in my language)), so I'll go with the best device available than.

If Apple announced and launched their iPhone in June or July, than that would mean that they will at least keep me as a customer. :)
 
*LTD*

*LTD*

macrumors G4
Feb 5, 2009
10,703
1
Canada
The new phase of the rivalry is because neither one of them can get a decisive edge over the other solely with its OS and AP specifications, features or design.

LMAO.
 
Patriks7

Patriks7

macrumors 65816
Oct 26, 2008
1,419
624
Vienna
filmantopia said:
They've got to do something fancy with the design because 4G capability alone may not be enough to attract people in droves. And what else are they going to do exactly? NFC?

Have we reached a hardware plateau with iOS devices (a la iPod classic)?

I'm sure Apple has some future plans for revolutions in the mobile arena. Maybe they're looking into the "goggle" tech similar to Google's project glass. Maybe not.
Click to expand...

The Apple logo on the back is enough to attract people in droves. The hardware updates it gets are just a bonus.
 
rneglia

rneglia

macrumors 6502
Apr 18, 2006
413
131
ThatsMeRight said:
It's also sort of a dealbreaker, my telecom contract expires this summer and than I'll pick a new phone - and it won't be the 4S (I'm ready for a new design and new features which the 4S doesn't really offer compared to the 4 (Siri does not work in my language)), so I'll go with the best device available than.
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So you would rather have a new Android in June than the iPhone 5 in Sept/Oct. (if it comes to that)?
 
D

Duncanreally

macrumors member
Feb 24, 2010
56
35
"...being both being thin, light and highly resistant to external impacts"

As opposed to internal impacts?

Being both A, B, and C?

Who writes this stuff?
 
T

ThatsMeRight

macrumors 68020
Sep 12, 2009
2,294
262
rneglia said:
So you would rather have a new Android in June than the iPhone 5 in Sept/Oct. (if it comes to that)?
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In July I know what Android can offer to me, but I won't know what Apple will offer.

It all depends on what Apple is going to do with iOS 6, when they are announcing the next-gen iPhone and what they are going to do with the next-gen iPhone.

I'll go with the best device available, and for me that was normally a recently-announced iPhone with a new version of iOS.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This year, the choice is more difficult. I have found that, in my opinion, for the first time ever Google has a really stable, and good, version of Android (Android 4.0). And the Android Market/Play Store is 'up to date' with the most popular apps.

If the choice is this:

- An iPhone 4S (2011) with iOS 5

versus

- A decent, just released Android phone with Android 4.0

Than I'll settle with the last one. I know iOS 5. And the iPhone 4S is not worth the upgrade over the iPhone 4 (and yes, I have actually tried a 4S).
 
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ArtOfWarfare

ArtOfWarfare

macrumors G3
Nov 26, 2007
9,560
6,059
ThatsMeRight said:
It's also sort of a dealbreaker, my telecom contract expires this summer and than I'll pick a new phone - and it won't be the 4S (I'm ready for a new design and new features which the 4S doesn't really offer compared to the 4 (Siri does not work in my language)), so I'll go with the best device available than.
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You wouldn't just hang onto the 4 (it acts just like an iPod Touch after the contract expires,) and get a cheap pay as you go phone? I'd probably do something like that if my contract timing worked out like that...
 
H

hirshnoc

macrumors regular
Oct 18, 2007
249
148
Brooklyn, NY
iOS 6 and Mountain Lion will be at WWDC. There is no reason to release a new iPhone if iOS 6 hasn't even gone through beta testing yet. I'm surprised they wrote this article without that in mind.
 
T

ThatsMeRight

macrumors 68020
Sep 12, 2009
2,294
262
ArtOfWarfare said:
You wouldn't just hang onto the 4 (it acts just like an iPod Touch after the contract expires,) and get a cheap pay as you go phone? I'd probably do something like that if my contract timing worked out like that...
Click to expand...
I do realize it may sound silly, but I prefer to just go into a new plan and get a new device. Internet connectivity is, by the way, more important for me than the calling functionality.

And besides, I don't know what Apple is planning to do with the prices here in Europe: Apple has raised prices for carriers in the past two years. For an iPhone 4, you now pay at least $130 more than you did two years for an iPhone 3GS - on contract.
 
Tilpots

Tilpots

macrumors 601
Apr 19, 2006
4,195
71
Carolina Beach, NC
It wasn't called the iPad 3 and it won't be the iPhone 5. Can we please nip this in the bud, now, before the whole world gets confused again? Thanks.
 
Dades

Dades

macrumors member
May 24, 2010
82
2
Dublin, Ireland
Tilpots said:
It wasn't called the iPad 3 and it won't be the iPhone 5. Can we please nip this in the bud, now, before the whole world gets confused again? Thanks.
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Do you know what it's going to be called?

People have to call it something until it's announced. Who gives a crap - we all know the rumour relates to the next iPhone. 5, 6, HD, *new* whatever.
 
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