Additional Photos of Purported Silver iPhone 6 Rear Shell Surface

[iamMacPerson]

I can't wait to finally get the 6! IMO, this is going to be a bigger advancement then the iPhone 5 from the iPhone 4s. The 5s is in no way a slow or small phone, in fact this phone is the perfect size for me, however I would like a bigger display for viewing movies and easier typing. With the bigger display Swype should be awesome to use on the iPhone 6!

 

[Casiotone]

I guess I'm in the minority here (or am I?) but I think the iPhone 6 looks like a beautiful piece of engineering. The beaten up picture in this article doesn't do it justice. Here's a better one.

 

[dav1dd]

It was just an example. My point is that it's easy to make a 3D object in a program, much less to design something that in real life will be durable, easy to mass-produce, practical, thin, lightweight etc.

The iPhone 6 looks to be very durable, yet very thin. I don't think there are an infinite number of ways to make a 6.1mm thin phone that is durable and have good cell/wifi/bt reception without having those fragile glass inlays on the back.

Edit: BTW I put my 4S in my back pocket (yeah I'm one of these) and sit on it without any problem, it's almost 3 years old now. But it's kind of heavy (and would be worse at 4.7"), and the back could break if I drop it the wrong way. I don't mind the glass back myself, but it's now used as the symbol of Apple's supposed planned obsolescence by people who don't know much about radio reception. I can see how Apple would want to get away from those glass parts.

I am still using an iPhone 4 and looking forward to upgrading, although I do like the chunky feel it has. I guess my experience with Apple has been that they go the extra distance to produce something that is durable and practical but at the same time unusually well made and unique. They seem to have always pushed the boundaries with regards to top-shelf design v ease-of-production. Like a lot of people I guess, I will be keen to see the latest model in hand. I want to be able to pick it up and say, "Wow, I need this"; that's what I'm used to with Apple.

 

[Mr England]

I guess I'm in the minority here (or am I?) but I think the iPhone 6 looks like a beautiful piece of engineering. The beaten up picture in this article doesn't do it justice. Here's a better one.

Image

It really does look great here. Now imagine (someone mock it up) the protruding camera placed on... the camera will 'break' those line breaks. And that (for me) this is how we can start to speculate to the use of liquid metal. I don't imagine anyone with a design sensibility really giving the go ahead to a camera being placed over horizontal lines in that fashion, it just wouldn't happen. So those lines are going to be as-near-as-dammit close as possible the feel and texture of the rest of the phone.

Didn't Ive say in an interview that he was being pushed to the limits in exploring the uses of new and interesting materials? He said that. He could have been talking about sapphire for the watch, but he could also have been describing the use of liquid metal on the iPhone.

Regardless, as it stands in the picture above, I like it. With the camera added, I wouldn't be so sure. But only for the reason stated above. It would sit over the breaks, and that would feel odd to me.

 

[Jibbajabba]

C'mon...Obviously this is some type of prototype made up of unfinished raw material.

I remember the IP5 being totally scratch resistant and people didn't complain at all

 

[Mercifull]

In the stock compass app there is a spirit level that works not only horizontally but also flat on a surface. How would this work with rounded edges or a protruding lens? Would Apple just remove that app?

I like the idea of a ring to securely attach custom lenses and hardware to the phone but I'd use that far less than I do the spirit level.

 

[Cortona]

For me, the tragedy is that the people who have taken the time to design and release their personal concept images, and we've seen some nice ones, do a far better job than Apple's in-house designers. I think this attached image is a far better representation of the Apple brand we have come to respect.

Don't show this to people in here, they'll have to change their panties when they think about that rocking all over the place when they operate it on a flat surface. In all honesty though, that's a tragically bad design, and Apple would never do that.

 

[Cortona]

It really does look great here. Now imagine (someone mock it up) the protruding camera placed on... the camera will 'break' those line breaks. And that (for me) this is how we can start to speculate to the use of liquid metal. I don't imagine anyone with a design sensibility really giving the go ahead to a camera being placed over horizontal lines in that fashion, it just wouldn't happen. So those lines are going to be as-near-as-dammit close as possible the feel and texture of the rest of the phone.

Didn't Ive say in an interview that he was being pushed to the limits in exploring the uses of new and interesting materials? He said that. He could have been talking about sapphire for the watch, but he could also have been describing the use of liquid metal on the iPhone.

Regardless, as it stands in the picture above, I like it. With the camera added, I wouldn't be so sure. But only for the reason stated above. It would sit over the breaks, and that would feel odd to me.

I think they may be going heavy with Liquidmetal starting this year. The Apple logo we have seen may be Liquidmetal at the very least. They may be using it for the body of the iWatch as well. It's a flexible material and can be formed in unique shapes.

My pure speculation is that the extreme top and bottom of the device where it curves could be Liquidmetal in the final production design, assuming they can color Liquidmetal and make it look identical to the aluminum. Granted this is probably unlikely, and instead it'll probably look like what we've seen and nothing will be special about it or the materials.

The extreme top and bottom of the device are separated from the rest of the device and attach to it, and the bands separate them. Liquidmetal can act as the antenna and it's ridiculously strong and scratch resistant, and the top and bottom which covers all four corners is exactly where you'd want the most strength for accidental drops. Plus those are the places where scuffs and scratches and chips are most common. Imagine if dropping the device on one of the corners which is the most damage you can get from an impact, did nothing. Couple that with the extremely durable, flexible, scratch-resistant glass we've seen, or sapphire, and you have by far the most damage resistant smartphone ever built (not counting luxury phones).

As you can see in this picture, the very top and bottom are shown in a different color, this is either to represent that they are separate parts, or that they are separate materials, or both.

 

[Cortona]

I guess I'm in the minority here (or am I?) but I think the iPhone 6 looks like a beautiful piece of engineering. The beaten up picture in this article doesn't do it justice. Here's a better one.

Image

It doesn't look bad from that angle but look at this angle... the band jumps off of it from how contrasting it is. If the bands matched up better in color in the final production units then it could look beautiful probably. It's one of those things where you'd have to wait and see it in it's final state.

 

[kdarling]

I think they may be going heavy with Liquidmetal starting this year. The Apple logo we have seen may be Liquidmetal at the very least. They may be using it for the body of the iWatch as well. It's a flexible material and can be formed in unique shapes.

It's pretty clear that LiquidMetal is not used in the case in the photo. Just look at all the scratches and dents.

As for the white lines, they apparently could simply be protective film over the deeper and darker (and better looking) plastic/composite bands that separate the aluminum antenna sections. That would be much more handsome, more Apple like.

Basically, from both the interior and exterior shots we've seen, it looks like a near duplicate of the HTC One antenna design, which Apple has a cross license for.

.

 

[Cortona]

It's pretty clear that LiquidMetal is not used in the case in the photo. Just look at all the scratches and dents.

As for the white lines, they apparently could simply be protective film over the deeper and darker (and better looking) plastic/composite bands that separate the aluminum antenna sections. That would be much more handsome, more Apple like.

Basically, from both the interior and exterior shots we've seen, it looks like a near duplicate of the HTC One antenna design, which Apple has a cross license for.

.

The case in the photo could very easily not be representative of the final production unit.

 

[Mactendo]

I'm sorry.

No way in a million years can I see Apple make anything look this nasty and horrid.

Unfortunately no. All the history of iPhone leaks tell us this is how the iPhone 6 will look.

 

[iosuser]

fail

then why bother with a thin phone, why bother with aluminum if you are gonna cover it with some crap case?

hilarious.

As if I designed the phone I use my phone flat on a table all the time, and if the camera protrusion is true, I will not have that thing wobble as I use it. I will reserve judgement until after announcement, but I hope to see at least optical stabilization on the camera, having that protrusion.

And what is hilarious is people passing judgement on what others' do on these forums, on something as inconsequential as putting a case on one's phone.

Thinner usually means lighter, and it enables better and more varied cases. I don't understand why anyone would want to use a 5th gen Touch naked. It's too thin and slippery to hold comfortably. OTOH, in a case like the Griffin Reveal, it's perfect. I expect the phone will be the same.

I bought a 5th gen Touch for this single app I use, after I sold my iPhone 5s. It is exactly like trying to hold a bar of soap without a case.

 

[freediverx]

why not just make the phone the same thickness as the lens? makes much more sense to me at this time anyway. when camera tech evolves then make it that much smaller...

Because Apple wants to emphasize miniaturization, which is a hallmark of the sort of engineering prowess their competitors lack.

However, if this means ending up with a protruding camera lens that gives the phone an irritating wobble when used on a flat surface, it will undermine any bragging rights from shaving a couple of millimeters in thickness.

Regarding the evolution of camera tech, I fear they may be bumping into a limitation in the laws of physics here since larger sensors (which are better) require larger lenses.

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If the camera is much, much better then I will happily take the protrusion.

I wouldn't say I would "happily" accept the protrusion, but this would slightly dampen the disappointment. They would have to sell the hell out of that camera, though, and demonstrate it was leaps and bounds better than its predecessors and the competition.

Frankly I think the iPhone's camera is pretty great as is, and the main things I want are the least likely in a thin phone: a larger sensor and a faster lens.

 

[redmotion]

I think we could be seeing a new approach for massively boosting the market of expensive looking (and costing) phone covers!

 

[freediverx]

Anyone considered the antenna breaks being filled with liquidmetal? That'd look pretty cool

I don't think liquidmetal is radiotransparent.

 

[ksuyen]

My likely courses of action are now……

Keep my current 5S.
Switch to a completely different phone.
Buy the 6 if I get a real good deal.

Do not tell me you will be the first one to line up when 6 comes out. Your excuse? "Oh, that was then, the fake prototype did not do justice for even 1% of the real thing"

 

[dampfnudel]

It's fairly obvious the top and bottom "bands" will be filled with some material that will protrude like the camera, making it SIT FLAT on surfaces since the camera protrudes.

Am I the only one realizing this?

I'm hoping Apple didn't realize that.

 

[zipa]

Because Apple wants to emphasize miniaturization, which is a hallmark of the sort of engineering prowess their competitors lack.

Yet their competitors manage to make thinner phones without any protruding parts.

EDIT: Yes, I do know what this means w/r the camera.

 

[E.Lizardo]

Let's be honest, it's not minor.

You could have an amazing dining table, polished walnut wood with mahogany inlays, gold metalwork around the legs, all beautifully french polished.

They remove half an inch off one of the legs, so whilst everyone is sitting at the table eating their meal on fine china, the table keeps rocking every time anyone places any weight on the table.

Lovely table, but the experience is ruined.

Holding the table up the wobble is gone.
So Apple would make an anti-wobble case for the times you want to use your phone on a flat surface?

A poor analogy and not applicable to me,though I see it may bother some

 

[mrs1986]

I won't say I dislike the new model, but the iPhone 5S is a really good design... Just can't get my head around a rounded iPhone... But, they can be going through the path of the iPads... The design is really similar...