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A Closer Look at Apple's Next-Generation 'Unibody' iPhone Design
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Kevlar just like Droid RAZR MAXX. Yeah. Aluminum is not possible. What was I thinking?! Because it's not possible to use more than one material to make a phone...
Give it up, will you? If you haven't noticed, Apple usually upends a category (e.g. iMac, OS X, iPhone, iPad) then releases solid, iterative releases. This has always been the case.
OS X made huge waves. Then each subsequent release made steady improvements. None of the iPhones besides the original were "revolutionary", whatever that means. Compare the list of expected improvements with the "iPhone 5" with any of the past releases, and it measures up just fine. But this next one seems to be at least as good an update as the iPhone 4. Thinner, stronger, better display, faster processor, more RAM, better camera, slightly improved buttons and I/O....But hey, I guess a holographic screen would have been awesome.
You're going to be one of those "when I was your age..." people, aren't you?
The 4 was: Retina display + external wraparound antenna.
I do wish that people who want to criticise Apple's design choices would at the very least learn just a little about industrial design and material science.
When you make a mass produced product you need to work with materials that are reliable and can be used in scale and that your manufacturing partners have the machines to process. You have to balance of loads of different requirements for weight, heat dissipation, fit and finish, conductivity, scratch and shatter resistance and more. It's not as easy as all that and that's why mass produced stuff that's well designed and engineered is so amazing.
Apple employs some of the very best industrial designers working on the planet today but forum hacks who don't even know that kevlar is a fabric think they know better!
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You mean like the new iPhone?
The Razr Maxx is kevlar coated - the back is still plastic.
When you make a mass produced product you need to work with materials that are reliable and can be used in scale and that your manufacturing partners have the machines to process. You have to balance of loads of different requirements for weight, heat dissipation, fit and finish, conductivity, scratch and shatter resistance and more. It's not as easy as all that and that's why mass produced stuff that's well designed and engineered is so amazing.
Apple employs some of the very best industrial designers working on the planet today but forum hacks who don't even know that kevlar is a fabric think they know better!
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You mean like the new iPhone?
The Razr Maxx is kevlar coated - the back is still plastic.
Exactly like the new iPhone. Why didn't they do that in iPhone 4 or 4s? Because they thought that people want shiny over durable? Form over function?
The 911 isn't "brilliantly designed"! If it was, Porsche would never had placed the engine right at the back and then spend the next few decades making the thing handle properly! If anything it only works so brilliantly know because of computers and trial and error....
The iPhone.... works.... Apple fixed the antenna in the next model straight after the iPhone 4.
This really sucks. Looking less forward to the announcement now. No more "wow" factor.
Must be Samsung's fault.
Must be Samsung's fault.
Not me... I hate the new design. I'm in the same camp as the other "I-can't-believe-Ive-designed-that-monstrosity"
I mean look at the size of those holes at the bottom. That's not Apple-esque. It looks friggin' Fisher-pricey... like an iBook.
Perhaps... just perhaps... Apple really DID let a fake 'prototype' lose this time.
And those are 3D renderings btw. Seems the fakes are capitalising on the recent 'iPhone 5' designs because they know everyone will fall for it as people have begun accepting these as THE official iPhone 5 design...
I definitely like this one too. The two tone back with the silver band looks awful IMO.
Yet neither of you say that you own this innovative marvel... So looks like there is more than just innovation needed to get you to buy. Honestly the battery is sick on the Razr maxx but if I wanted a phone that stayed charged 3 days I would get an old Nokia.
I did not notice the battery life on the Razor Maxx that other users have experienced. I thought it was poor as well. The video the previous user posted is a joke. Verizon's 3G sucks something awful.
No I would love more battery life but I'm fine with the way it is currently. The main argument with the Razr seems to be its battery life and for me that is not that important if they can maintain current usage time. That was truly innovative but the design of the Razr is a thumbs down. A unibody iPhone with the current battery usage seems more innovative. Its the same argument with PC's and Mac's, specs don't mean as much as functionality. Which one would you want to use on a daily basis?
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I follow (and I think this is actually a pretty interesting exchange, +and+ I absolutely do not mean to be insulting, so please don't take it that way...).
To the point: aren't Apple product also "luxury items"? If you need to make calls and text there are much lower cost alternatives. If you want, let's call it "basic smart phone features", there's a huge number of Apple alternatives that are much cheaper (if not free).
It's just easier for Average Joe to spend $500 on a phone, vs. $100K on a car, and as such, it also happens to have high sales volume (because of the entry price, and subsidized costs). That being said I don't believe it removes the "luxury" tax (see above).
Finally some sense is made!!!!
There is a fine line between blind (and misplaced) loyalty and learning to better appreciate and accept an engineering masterpiece for what it is.
The fact remains that many of us are not engineering experts. I am not embarrassed to admit that when the design was first revealed, I found it fugly (and to some extent, I still do). However, that was also because we did not understand the rationale behind those design decisions. Just look at the people who flocked to the S3 just because it boasts a larger, brighter screen. I guess we humans are superficial in that aspect.
If what Lehman says is indeed true, then there really is a method to Apple's apparent madness. Every step they have made in designing the new iphone is a carefully calculated step to make it as functional and practical as possible. These are features which I feel are every bit as important in a phone, yet they may not be readily apparent (like you can tell how durable a phone is just by looking at it?).
They are nowhere close to scrapping the bottom of the barrel for new ideas; they have a good reason for not wanting the screen to be more than 4 inches and so on. I still find it fugly, but at the same time, this newfound insight allows me to better appreciate the effort that has gone into crafting the next gen iphone.
Do you honestly think high end phones like the One X and SGS3 don't have a whole lot of engineering behind them? Let's not get too carried away with what went into the iphone. It's no different than all the attention to detail that goes into other high end phones.
I think what you may be referring to is Apple's ability (i.e. marketing) to exaggerate it's device features and performance (i.e. Siri) and it's fan base's willingness to eat it all up.
It's no different than all the attention to detail that goes into other high end phones.
I think what you may be referring to is Apple's ability (i.e. marketing) to exaggerate it's device features and performance (i.e. Siri) and it's fan base's willingness to eat it all up.
I don't think that's quite true. Apple is special in that they have been arguably the most daring company when it comes to dealing with different material in their phone in each major design iteration. Others do it to an extent but nobody does it in the volume that Apple does. There are many things that were wrong with the iPhone 4 design but the sheer audacity of Apple to make the phone as a glass sandwich was something to behold as with their gamble to bring unibody Macbook Pros.
If anything I think Apple is highly under-appreciated in that area contrary to your claim. For a simple comparison, look at Samsung's flagship Galaxy S in the past three years. They might have different chips, bigger screens, etc, but all were constructed in a very similar fashion using similar material whereas Apple made completely different constructions for the first iPhone, iPhone 3G, 4, and now the upcoming iPhone. Considering how many millions each new iPhone generation is sold, it's a humongous effort and a gamble taken by Apple.
The more I see these leaks the more I believe this is the phone Apple intends on dropping on us this year.
I now understand why Apple files all of the lawsuits. They know there is nothing left in their design tank. This is all they they had, Apple gave their best shot and now there is nothing left. It's clear Apple has lost it.
iPhone/iPad is all they have to hang onto to. They had iPod, sales dropped and they all but dropped it, Mac pro sales dropped, they dropped it, iMac sales are dropping soon they will drop it as well. As soo as the following for iPad/iPhone dies down they will give up on the products too.
In 5 years or so Apple will fade away because they refuse to get rid of Johnny Ive and the rest of those dinosaurs they have lingering around. We all have to keep in mind these products that we love so much came from Steve and the boys sitting around not really anything for about 10 years while flying under the radar and iMac, iPod, iPhone, Mac Pro, Apple Tv is what they came up with and they have not been able to do much since the first version of each of those models came out other than improve screen images, and size, battery life, memory and slight speed boost.
Apple has had a good run, they need to shut it down while they are ahead instead of us having to watch them die again
I now understand why Apple files all of the lawsuits. They know there is nothing left in their design tank. This is all they they had, Apple gave their best shot and now there is nothing left. It's clear Apple has lost it.
iPhone/iPad is all they have to hang onto to. They had iPod, sales dropped and they all but dropped it, Mac pro sales dropped, they dropped it, iMac sales are dropping soon they will drop it as well. As soo as the following for iPad/iPhone dies down they will give up on the products too.
In 5 years or so Apple will fade away because they refuse to get rid of Johnny Ive and the rest of those dinosaurs they have lingering around. We all have to keep in mind these products that we love so much came from Steve and the boys sitting around not really anything for about 10 years while flying under the radar and iMac, iPod, iPhone, Mac Pro, Apple Tv is what they came up with and they have not been able to do much since the first version of each of those models came out other than improve screen images, and size, battery life, memory and slight speed boost.
Apple has had a good run, they need to shut it down while they are ahead instead of us having to watch them die again
Congrats, this is officially the dumbest thing I've ever seen posted on Macrumors.
yup, the only thing apple has to do is crap out a mediocre upgrade. Show shiny pictures and a catchy commercial, then the sheep will line up, all the while thinking iphone is the greatest ever now that it has lte, nfc and a host of other features that are mainstream already. But since its apple it will be thought of as groundbreaking.
Sheesh, such rage. This happens everytime Apple is about to announce a new product but I still fail to understand how people can get so angry over what OTHER people choose to buy. That's right - I said "choose". No one's forcing you to buy an iPhone so why are you so upset?
Anyhow, if anything, you should be happy. After all, if everyone saw the 'truth' like you, you'd be a sheep too, no?
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Starting to love this design for some reason. I hated it when I first saw it. Bring it on! I can't wait to hold it!
I'm also geekily excited at the possibility of the new dock being MagSafe, and also this new case that supposed to turn the case industry upside down. It's the little things!
I'm also geekily excited at the possibility of the new dock being MagSafe, and also this new case that supposed to turn the case industry upside down. It's the little things!
With the new leaks of the connector, I doubt it will be MagSafe. As others have pointed out, it makes less sense with the small mass of the iPhone. Don't know what the case rumor is, but in my wishful thinking I'm still hoping it relates to the rumored inductive charging system. The Galaxy S3 has built in inductive charging, but they haven't yet released the charging unit. It was originally supposed to come out mid-summer and now has been pushed back to Sept. Coincidental timing or business strategy? They might be waiting for Apple to announce it and hype it up and then step in and say, hey, we already have it!
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