A Closer Look at Apple's Next-Generation 'Unibody' iPhone Design

[karlwig]

Okay, I'll admit it. I was skeptical, now I'm sold. This will be such a nice improvement -- nothing radical, just all the little things. They do add up.

Less bezel, bigger screen. Thinner. Metal back, more durable. Less weight too?

Then of course, all the upgrades on the inside. And new things, like LTE.

Seriously, I think the only thing that could disappoint me with the next iPhone at this point is a lack of improvement in software.

 

[Zunjine]

Who said they are making worse products???

I was mocking someone who seemed to be suggesting that Apple doesn't care about product quality and only cares about making money. The mockery being in the fact that the two - making more profit and making better products, go hand in hand. No one makes more profits by making worse products.

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Unibody just means that the main structural support AND the body of the object are comprised of a solid machined piece of material.

In the case of the iPhone 4 and 4S, the structural support and the body happen to be the same thing, that's the steel band and the frame that runs through the middle of the phone. With the new iPhone, it's the steel band and the back of the device.

Anyone wanna clarify this further?

The band on the 4 is made of two parts. The band on the 4S is made of three parts.

 

[Geckotek]

Unibody just means that the main structural support AND the body of the object are comprised of a solid machined piece of material.

In the case of the iPhone 4 and 4S, the structural support and the body happen to be the same thing, that's the steel band and the frame that runs through the middle of the phone. With the new iPhone, it's the steel band and the back of the device.

Anyone wanna clarify this further?

Clarify this for me, when has Apple ever called any iPhone unibody?

 

[nepalisherpa]

In case you guys are interested, I've created a public poll about these leaks here: https://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?p=15454036

 

[PrayForDeath]

Some people seem to forgot that Apple doesn't live in vacuum. Yes, this looks like a major upgrade when you ignore the rest of the smartphone market. Compare it to competitors and suddenly your new iphone is just a catchup game and not even a good one.

And yet, we have absolutely no idea what the internal specs of the phone are...

 

[Zunjine]

And yet, we have absolutely no idea what the internal specs of the phone are...

On top of that, these "catchup" people are kinda missing the point. The value in an iPhone isn't in the features list. It's in the core experience, where the iPhone still tops poll after poll, the ecosystem, that no one else can come close to matching, the integration of software and hardware, that no one else is even trying to do yet, and the customer support/service which is second to none in the tech world.

People who are technology focused always miss the bigger picture. Apple only needs the iPhone to stay competitive in terms of specifications for the most part. They will push ahead and really go for it in areas that massively improve the customer experience - the Retina display being a case in point - but they don't need to be the first to market with every new bleeding edge bit of technology. Not only would that push up their costs and introduce extra risk into the user experience, it would make almost no difference to their overall success because that rests on far more than specs.

Simple minds always try to make decisions through lists and tables. Real value is far harder to measure.

 

[Dmunjal]

This approach only works for so long though. Remember the Mac led the PC industry with user experience in the 80s and then let Microsoft and Intel catch up in the 90s. Windows came close to the user experience and Intel and the OEMs offered much better price/performance than what Apple was offering.

 

[ahireasu]

On top of that, these "catchup" people are kinda missing the point. The value in an iPhone isn't in the features list. It's in the core experience, where the iPhone still tops poll after poll, the ecosystem, that no one else can come close to matching, the integration of software and hardware, that no one else is even trying to do yet, and the customer support/service which is second to none in the tech world.

People who are technology focused always miss the bigger picture. Apple only needs the iPhone to stay competitive in terms of specifications for the most part. They will push ahead and really go for it in areas that massively improve the customer experience - the Retina display being a case in point - but they don't need to be the first to market with every new bleeding edge bit of technology. Not only would that push up their costs and introduce extra risk into the user experience, it would make almost no difference to their overall success because that rests on far more than specs.

Simple minds always try to make decisions through lists and tables. Real value is far harder to measure.

What you will say if i tell you that "retina display" phones where out long before apple introduce one?
Ofc apple as a master in marketing made everyone to believe they are the ones that did it first.

 

[dashiel]

The current MBP starting from 2008 (unibody) is totally different from the PowerBooks... IDK where you are getting the comparison from.

The engineering may be totally different, but the design language for Apple’s pro laptop line was defined with the original Titanium PowerBook. Apple then iterated that design (by the way not my take, literally what Ive’s has stated) refining it year by year. If you compare the 2001 TiBook to the 2012 MacBook Retina the change is staggering, if you compare each annual change you’ll see the changes are far more subtle.

 

[tennisproha]

Clarify this for me, when has Apple ever called any iPhone unibody?

Nor will they ever.

 

[Geckotek]

Nor will they ever.

Somehow I doubt this. I think this may be the term they use on this model. Wouldn't bet my paycheck on it, but perhaps a $20.

While the last models of phones may have met YOUR definition of a unibody, they don't meet the definition implied by previous unibody devices Apple has manufactured. This new iPhone body comes close, but I'm not sure of the extra antenna parts might eliminate it from using the term since they are a part of the body as well.

 

[tennisproha]

Somehow I doubt this. I think this may be the term they use on this model. Wouldn't bet my paycheck on it, but perhaps a $20.

While the last models of phones may have met YOUR definition of a unibody, they don't meet the definition implied by previous unibody devices Apple has manufactured. This new iPhone body comes close, but I'm not sure of the extra antenna parts might eliminate it from using the term since they are a part of the body as well.

Fair enough. I consider the steel band structure to be the body since its what the logic board is mounted on and its also what holds the thing together. The back was always more of a cover.

I think the unibody macbooks are in a different realm however when you think about it, they are similar to the iPhone design. The bottom cover is still separate from the body

 

[PaulChowHK]

Samsung looking like iPhone 8. Nice and slow is not going to bring moneys to the bank. In China you no make money you losing friends fast. Well lets seeing if Apple going to pulling rabit out of their hat or is it going to be dandruff.

 

[gpatrick15]

I'm glad someone who knows what he's talking about has done an analysis of this design and pointed out why it's so damn good.

People will bitch and moan because that's what people like to do. Let them. I'm looking forward to this one. First ever unibody smartphone, 7.6 mm thick, the same brilliant antenna design from the 4S and with a whole bunch of new goodies thrown in for good measure.

Some people will think it's not good enough but then no one can really say what it is they would prefer other than "I want a 5" screen and a massive battery!!!" as if that's innovation! Oh well, let them have their rants. I'm sure it makes them happy.

If I'm not mistaken, HTC has had unibody smartphones for at least the past year or so.

 

[Zunjine]

If I'm not mistaken, HTC has had unibody smartphones for at least the past year or so.

I should have said "the first ever unibody iPhone". I now know that HTC have had some unibody phones on the market. Goes to show that there is a real race to produce the best smartphones now. I had a blackberry about a year before the first iPhone came out and, frankly, it was nothing compared to what we have today. The entire smartphone market has sprinted ahead at astonishing speed, compared to before the iPhone and we're all the winners.

That said, I'm not a fan of Android. If I didn't have an iPhone I suspect I'd be looking closely at Nokia's Windows 8 handsets when they come along.

 

[AuburnApple]

This new iPhone body comes close, but I'm not sure of the extra antenna parts might eliminate it from using the term since they are a part of the body as well.

By that qualification there isn't a such thing as a unibody car; because the doors, hood, and truck are part of the exterior body but not one piece. Unibody generally just means the structural frame and the main body are integrated together. It doesn't necessarily mean the entire body and exterior is one piece.

On a full frame car (non-unibody), the base frame is the main structural support onto which the mechanicals and exterior body are mounted to. This is more comparable to the 4/4S. The steel band is the frame, and the electronics and body panels are bolted to it. Even though the steel band is visible, I wouldn't clasify it as unibody personally. Some may disagree and that's fine.

A unibody car integrates the structural frame and primary body structure into one piece. Additional exterior pieces are still bolted onto the main body like the doors, bumpers, truck, etc. These new iPhone body leaks are as close being classified as unibody as I've seen. Either way I don't really care. As a Mechanical Engineer I find the design detail and manufacturing execution of this design amazing whether you call it unibody or not.

 

[PPFee]

I suspect that's down to poor lighting and poor photography. Could also be that these cases are rejected ones for those reasons.

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I hadnt thought of that, hopefully thats the case (no pun intended)

 

[69650]

I don't understand this 'It's boring' complaint either - do people just sit and stare at an object and expect it to entertain them by virtue of its shape? Maybe a little robot arm could come out of the back and jangle some keys in your face to keep you occupied.

I picture someone sitting down intently looking at a phone while it's off and then crying "I'm bored! This thing is boring me! waaah!". And then they pick up some other phone while it's off and gaze enrapt at it because it has a different shape and is thus "entertaining". Bizarre.

"It's boring" in this sense is such a weird criterion by which to evaluate a phone's design.

You have deliberately missed the point of the previous posts. I didn't suggest the design was boring, I said that having the same design year after year is boring. I don't care if it's a design classic - if they don't change it every so often then I'm simply not going to spend my hard earned money on a new machine. I'll just keep the one I've got until it dies and I absolutely have to buy a new one. It actually saves me money in the long run.

The point however is that if enough people do the same, Apple's upgrade sales will fall significantly because people will upgrade every 5 or 6 years instead of every 2 or 3 years. I'm lucky I could afford to upgrade every year or two but I'm not going to upgrade simply for a spec bump.

Apple relies on existing customers upgrading every so often for much of it's revenue. I don't know why people seem unable to understand that. If new internals on a MBP gets you all excited good for you but I would suggest that the average person couldn't give stuff.

If it don't look different it ain't different is most people's view in my experience.

 

[Geckotek]

You have deliberately missed the point of the previous posts. I didn't suggest the design was boring, I said that having the same design year after year is boring. I don't care if it's a design classic - if they don't change it every so often then I'm simply not going to spend my hard earned money on a new machine. I'll just keep the one I've got until it dies and I absolutely have to buy a new one. It actually saves me money in the long run.

The point however is that if enough people do the same, Apple's upgrade sales will fall significantly because people will upgrade every 5 or 6 years instead of every 2 or 3 years. I'm lucky I could afford to upgrade every year or two but I'm not going to upgrade simply for a spec bump.

Apple relies on existing customers upgrading every so often for much of it's revenue. I don't know why people seem unable to understand that. If new internals on a MBP gets you all excited good for you but I would suggest that the average person couldn't give stuff.

If it don't look different it ain't different is most people's view in my experience.

If, by your own statement, people are currently upgrading every 2-3 years, then Apple only needs to redesign every 3 years. The current design isn't even 2 years old yet. I would say that Apple is easily meeting the "every so often" standard. And this new design is SIGNIFICANTLY different than the old.

And what do you do about other products you own? Cars for example, only change every 5-7 years. Laptops, you must hate the MBPs by now. I guess you buy new clothes every season and completely throw out last season's passé de mode.

The idea that something must be redesigned every year or even every 2-3 is ludicrous and frivolous. And if people are upgrading due to new designs, they really need to check their spending habits. Besides, Apple is on top of the design game, if you haven't noticed.

 

[Carouser]

You have deliberately missed the point of the previous posts.

No, I understood the implications of those posts better than the people who cobbled them together.

I didn't suggest the design was boring, I said that having the same design year after year is boring.

Awesome, another distinction without a difference - if Apple (or any other manufacturer) released a product with the same design every year, my last reaction would be "I'm bored, this is boring me, waah" like some kid being dragged around a supermarket. How long does your entertainment last when a novel phone appears? 5 minutes? Six months? I wonder about the relative priority you give to 'novel design' over 'good design' over 'does something well'.

"Looks sufficiently different from a previous iteration" is about the last thing I would consider when buying a phone; you seem to think this is a huge deal:

The point however is that if enough people do the same, Apple's upgrade sales will fall significantly because people will upgrade every 5 or 6 years instead of every 2 or 3 years.

If I were deliberating whether to hold my Apple shares or sell them I don't think your analysis would be very compelling, but like you say, who knows why I'm somehow unable to understand the worthwhile arguments you feel exist somewhere in your posts. Poor me.

 

[thekeyring]

Am I the only one who thinks Unibody iPhone would make a good name?

Seeing as "iPhone 5" isn't an entirely logical name and "iPhone 6" might confuse customers who expect the phone to be named "5".

Also, a lot of people who aren't that tech savy respond to my question "Did you get the iPhone 4S?" with "I don't know - I got the new one," so "The new iPhone" might confuse customers more.

 

[69650]

No, I understood the implications of those posts better than the people who cobbled them together.

Awesome, another distinction without a difference - if Apple (or any other manufacturer) released a product with the same design every year, my last reaction would be "I'm bored, this is boring me, waah" like some kid being dragged around a supermarket. How long does your entertainment last when a novel phone appears? 5 minutes? Six months? I wonder about the relative priority you give to 'novel design' over 'good design' over 'does something well'.

"Looks sufficiently different from a previous iteration" is about the last thing I would consider when buying a phone; you seem to think this is a huge deal:

If I were deliberating whether to hold my Apple shares or sell them I don't think your analysis would be very compelling, but like you say, who knows why I'm somehow unable to understand the worthwhile arguments you feel exist somewhere in your posts. Poor me.

Your insults only serve to reduce the credibility of your argument.

You are one whining like a baby. I simply stated a point of view - that I prefer to upgrade my devices when a new design is released rather than updating just for a spec bump. I like new technology and I like new designs.

If you are so immature that you can't handle people holding a different view to yours then you shouldn't come on forums like this. Go back to insulting or bullying people on Twitter or whatever it is you do to make you feel good about yourself.

 

[69650]

If, by your own statement, people are currently upgrading every 2-3 years, then Apple only needs to redesign every 3 years. The current design isn't even 2 years old yet. I would say that Apple is easily meeting the "every so often" standard. And this new design is SIGNIFICANTLY different than the old.

And what do you do about other products you own? Cars for example, only change every 5-7 years. Laptops, you must hate the MBPs by now. I guess you buy new clothes every season and completely throw out last season's passé de mode.

The idea that something must be redesigned every year or even every 2-3 is ludicrous and frivolous. And if people are upgrading due to new designs, they really need to check their spending habits. Besides, Apple is on top of the design game, if you haven't noticed.

I think there is a difference between phones and computers. I know a lot of people who upgrade their phones every 18 months or 2 years when their contract expires. I would agree that a 2 year cycle makes the most sense for the iPhone to maximise sales based on this cycle. Which is what they are doing. One year new design next year spec bump then new design again the following year. Whether or not the iPhone 5 is sufficiently different from the previous design remains to be seen when I actually get my hands on one.

Computers are different. Presumably you haven't noticed the buzz there is every time a rumour of a new Mac appears and how they experience a sales spike just after each new version is released and how that spike goes up even more when a new design is released. You see this is the difference between geeks and nerds who get excited about a new processor chip and the rest of us who get excited about a new product or new design.

But you seem to completely miss my point. Apple relies on repeat/upgrade purchases from existing customers to drive their revenues forward. Around 50% of all Apple sales are to existing customers. So the more upgrades you encourage the more revenue Apple makes. I would have thought as a shareholder you would understand that but obviously not.

I'm certainly not frivolous and I have no interest at all in the latest fashions.

Do you understand the difference between I need to upgrade and I want to upgrade? Because believe it makes a world of difference to the bottom line of a business like Apple.

 

[Geckotek]

I think there is a difference between phones and computers. I know a lot of people who upgrade their phones every 18 months or 2 years when their contract expires. I would agree that a 2 year cycle makes the most sense for the iPhone to maximise sales based on this cycle. Which is what they are doing. One year new design next year spec bump then new design again the following year. Whether or not the iPhone 5 is sufficiently different from the previous design remains to be seen when I actually get my hands on one.

Computers are different. Presumably you haven't noticed the buzz there is every time a rumour of a new Mac appears and how they experience a sales spike just after each new version is released and how that spike goes up even more when a new design is released. You see this is the difference between geeks and nerds who get excited about a new processor chip and the rest of us who get excited about a new product or new design.

But you seem to completely miss my point. Apple relies on repeat/upgrade purchases from existing customers to drive their revenues forward. Around 50% of all Apple sales are to existing customers. So the more upgrades you encourage the more revenue Apple makes. I would have thought as a shareholder you would understand that but obviously not.

I'm certainly not frivolous and I have no interest at all in the latest fashions.

Do you understand the difference between I need to upgrade and I want to upgrade? Because believe it makes a world of difference to the bottom line of a business like Apple.

MOST users upgrade driven on practicality. There needs to be some sort of new functionality. You seem to be of a rare breed where the external design is more important. Most people throw a case on the thing, so while they may or may not like the design, actual functionality will drive the upgrade first.

I'm not saying the design is never a driving factor, we all love Apple design and we obviously get excited about the idea of new designs. But to say you would or would not buy a new model based solely on that??? Makes no sense to me.....but feel free to take your stand. What always drives me to get a new model? Frustration that my old model isn't as responsive or is missing a feature that the new model will provide. That's what drives MOST users to upgrade.

 

[69650]

MOST users upgrade driven on practicality. There needs to be some sort of new functionality. You seem to be of a rare breed where the external design is more important. Most people throw a case on the thing, so while they may or may not like the design, actual functionality will drive the upgrade first.

I'm not saying the design is never a driving factor, we all love Apple design and we obviously get excited about the idea of new designs. But to say you would or would not buy a new model based solely on that??? Makes no sense to me.....but feel free to take your stand. What always drives me to get a new model? Frustration that my old model isn't as responsive or is missing a feature that the new model will provide. That's what drives MOST users to upgrade.

If most users are driven by practicality (in other words they upgrade only when they need to) why are there lines outside the AppleStore every time a new product is released?

For many years Apple has used "design" as a selling point for their products.

I'm not trying to criticise anyone, I think it's simply the case that techies tend to look at what's inside the product whereas the average joe looks at what's on the outside. I'm not saying one is right and one is wrong it's just the way the world is. I'm not a power user so for me the internals are really not that important. But I do like a good design. It's not just about computers, I look for good design in everything I buy.