Apple Preparing 'Thinner and Lighter' iPhone for Third Quarter Launch

[JGowan]

... sources indicate that the new device will be "thinner and lighter" and that Apple's manufacturing partner Foxconn/Hon Hai is having difficulties with yield rate on the new device due to it being "complicated and difficult to assemble."

I don't buy this. You don't make things thinner until your device maker can actually make them and not slow down production. I believe it's so that people will do whatever it takes to get one early, insuring them having it. They're simply turning the lust-factor on in people's minds. Things are always "limited". The iPad has actually been limited IF you care about what you get as there are EIGHTEEN choices that can be made.

 

[alexexexex]

Are you insane? LTE coverage is BOOMING. Keep making excuses for Apple though, even though you make no sense.

If they do make an LTE iPhone this year they'd have to make a non-LTE for much of the rest of the world.

Why spend money on LTE chips for countries that don't have it yet

Hell in the UK the government auction for the LTE radio spectrum isn't until mid/late 2012 and the winning carriers will then have to roll out the tower upgrades etc.

Bottom line is Apple hates fragmentation so i think a US-iPhone and seperate ROTW-iPhone is highly unlikely.

 

[Sparty23]

Goes to show you have no idea what you are talking about. I have had LTE for months now, and its been flawless minus the one outage in its first few weeks. Regularly get 25mb down, 5 up... But again, keep making excuses for Apple.

Oh man, just because you have it must be the same for all!!!!!!11!!!!

Please.

 

[chrmjenkins]

Are you insane? LTE coverage is BOOMING. Keep making excuses for Apple though, even though you make no sense.

AT&T's coverage isn't even live yet and Apple has specifically said that they aren't willing to make the design compromises LTE demands right now (they said this at the verizon event). There is a 28nm lower power LTE radio coming from Qualcomm that they could use, but that won't be available in volume until next year. Thus, it's highly unrealistic to expect LTE now. They'll launch next year when Verizon's network is more mature and reaches a lot of people and AT&T's has had some time to get off the ground and get good press for a few months before iPhone users slam it.

 

[alexexexex]

I'm in agreenment that the Iphone 4 is thin enuff. Id take a lil bigger battery over shaving off a few mm's of the thickness of the phone.
I love this mockup. It looks much more comforable to hold:

Image

Image

This is gorgeous. Indicator LED, ergonomic, i really hope this is close.

 

[skinuca]

agreed that 4 is plenty thin

care more about better battery life and better lens than an ever thiner phone. It is not like a marginally thinner phone will let it be carried anywhere or used in a manner the current one can not be.

 

[tigress666]

I'll say it again, I hope Apple releases the next iPhone WITHOUT 4G. I know this will absolutely devastate some people in these forums but I would really like to get one more iPhone before being forced into a data plan I don't want. 2 more years of unlimited 3G data with a new iPhone would be really nice.

I concur. Even though I won't be getting a new iphone until next year (unless I get a better job and they increase the storage space on the new iphone).

It probably won't benefit me but it's an option to get at least a newer one than the 4 that I won't have to get a tiered data plan when I can afford a new iphone (I totally wouldn't be surprised if AT&T says to get the new iphone that gets 4G you have to change to the new limited 4G plans).

I mean if by next year they put out the 2012 iphone and it is 4G (if it is) I can at least have the decision to see if it is worth losing my unlimited or if I can just update to a 2011 iphone instead.

 

[diamond.g]

Most of the world doesn't use LTE, plus there are no LTE chips currently that are efficient. Until these two issues have been addressed, don't expect to see it in an Apple phone. HSPA+ is likely since I think a number of GSM networks across countries have it deployed.

Does that screw over Verizon users? Well yes, but on the global scale they're a minority, and Apple doesn't cater to minorities.

Sure they do. The whole Mac userbase is a minority.

 

[ArtOfWarfare]

Could be that this new phone is actually the cheaper, off-contract phone we've been hearing about? The one that is supposed to compete with the less expensive Androids out there.

If this is the phone meant to replace the iPhone 4, that will absolutely not happen. Apple may launch a separate product line, but they will have something to replace and improve upon the iPhone 4.

 

[baryon]

Thinner is better, but I think that reducing the top and bottom bezel is even more important. Imagine a device that is the size of the iPhone's screen, no bigger. I'm sure they can figure that out.

The reason I don't have a smartphone is because they're huge (okay, and expensive). I like my tiny Nokia 5310 that fit anywhere and don't weigh down my pocket.

Now if the iPhone could get smaller without making the screen smaller, that would be perfect.

 

[radge]

The battery life is great on the ip4. Even with some pretty heavy use (6 hours use, 13 hours standby) I've never had it die on me. Keep it the same thickness, but a contoured back, similar to the 3G/3Gs I think would be a great improvement.

 

[Rodimus Prime]

I might be among the few here but I do not think they should really go much thinner because the phones out there are kind of reaching a limit in being usable thickness and going thinner would just make it annoying. I find the iPod touch is currently a little on the thin side and wish it was a little thicker.

Apple has to realize that if they do not include LTE, this will give the android sets a big marketing advantage. Perhaps it will be a real advantage for only a relatively few people, but marketing is powerful..... Because of this, I'm thinking that if they do not include it, it will be for a very good reason.

The first iPhone did not have 3G and that did little damage. Problem with LTE in its current form is it sucks down power very quickly and kills batteries very fast. It is still a first gen tech in cell phones.

Besides the iPhone will be fake G on AT&T. Verizon will be 3G and AT&T will be fake G.

 

[radge]

Thinner is better, but I think that reducing the top and bottom bezel is even more important. Imagine a device that is the size of the iPhone's screen, no bigger. I'm sure they can figure that out.

The reason I don't have a smartphone is because they're huge (okay, and expensive). I like my tiny Nokia 5310 that fit anywhere and don't weigh down my pocket.

Now if the iPhone could get smaller without making the screen smaller, that would be perfect.

your signature makes me laugh every time I see it. I occasionally add that in on the end of emails I send from my gmail account to throw people off.

 

[2IS]

the iPhone 4 is fat compared to the latest smartphones

Name 3

I'd much rather have them keep the same thickness and use the space for a larger capacity battery.

 

[skinuca]

Name 3

I'd much rather have them keep the same thickness and use the space for a larger capacity battery.

Without a doubt, my preference as well.

 

[ThomasJL]

I'd not mind if the iPhone 5 was twice as thick as the iPhone 4 if...

I wouldn't mind if the iPhone 5 was twice as thick as the iPhone 4 if that meant:

1) LTE (that could be switched on or off) implemented with something similar to a Qualcomm Gobi chip that worked with every CDMA, GSM, and 3G frequency everywhere in the world (such a chip actually does exist).

2) Much longer battery life when in 3G mode, and battery life similar to the iPhone 4 when in LTE mode.

3) Standard-size SIM card (aka "mini-SIM," which is the global standard that the original iPhone, iPhone 3G, and iPhone 3GS used) instead of the inconvenient micro-SIM that the iPhone 4 uses. This would make things much easier for people who buy a factory unlocked iPhone 5 and travel internationally.

 

[Moonjumper]

As some have already said in this thread, replace the glass back with a composite or liquid metal back and you have a thinner phone without losing any component space. It will also be more robust, so I hope they do that as a minimum.

A thinner phone in other ways could be more comfortable. The problem with the iPhone 4 is the stainless steel band that you hold only covers part of the depth of the phone and has edges that are too angular.

What I would like to see:

Thinner glass to the front (something they did on the iPad 2) with the metal band (changed to liquid metal) extending forwards around the edges of the glass to protect it. A liquid metal back. Edges rounded off for comfort.

 

[datahoover]

Thinner and tastier

If Apple insist on making everything thinner and thinner, then I insist they make the new iPhone out of ginger snap or some other form of biscuit. Perfect for the businessman on the go…

 

[likegadgets]

Just hope unlocked is sold in US from day 1.

 

[louis Fashion]

Fear of a Black iPhone

Right on, I hardly ever see my brothers at the APPL store!! What's up with that?

 

[RalfTheDog]

I for one welcome our new iPhone Gellete overlords Just remember to use the special iShavingcream.

doesn't Apple just now own half the LTE patents? You try walking around on one leg...

Apple does not have the patents on the current LTE, they have the patents on the next generation that will actually be fast.

All that money and they couldnt even position the antennae correctly. lets hope theyve actually done some real world testing this time instead of trying to blag us all with a specially designed super test facility.

My iP4 gets better reception than most of my friends Android based phones. the antenna issue was much overblown.

Id rather have 4G with the option to turn it off and utilize 3G if I feel like the plauses outweigh the minuses, but your logic makes no sense to me.

And while I love Apple, their rigorous quality stadnards? Not in the last 2-3 years...

HSPA+ is 4G. It runs about the same speed as the current generation of LTE. (It has a bit faster download and a bit slower upload.) HSPA+ also has better battery life. Why would you want to trash your phones battery for no better performance?

I'll say it again, I hope Apple releases the next iPhone WITHOUT 4G. I know this will absolutely devastate some people in these forums but I would really like to get one more iPhone before being forced into a data plan I don't want. 2 more years of unlimited 3G data with a new iPhone would be really nice.

4G service will be cheaper to implement as it will use RF more efficiently. I am hoping they will charge less for 4G just to get rid of the congestion.

Goes to show you have no idea what you are talking about. I have had LTE for months now, and its been flawless minus the one outage in its first few weeks. Regularly get 25mb down, 5 up... But again, keep making excuses for Apple.

And you will get about the same performance if not better from HSPA+ with better battery life.

 

[AQUADock]

you want thinner? you want lighter?

The new iPhone 5

I'm in agreenment that the Iphone 4 is thin enuff. Id take a lil bigger battery over shaving off a few mm's of the thickness of the phone.
I love this mockup. It looks much more comforable to hold:

Image

Image

Now that is what i call a mockup

 

[louis Fashion]

Long Time Coming

"Two of the people, however, cautioned that shipments of the new iPhone could be delayed if Hon Hai can't improve its yield rate as the new iPhone is "complicated and difficult to assemble."


Oh what a surprise!!!

 

[ombrenelcielo]

Nokia N9 is the new black.

 

[GooMan]

4G service will be cheaper to implement as it will use RF more efficiently. I am hoping they will charge less for 4G just to get rid of the congestion.

You go right ahead and keep hoping.