Hands On with a Physical Mockup of the iPhone 5

[retrospek]

So it looks almost exactly the same - but just a bit taller..

We also know iOS is not going to change based on the latest Beta..

Not sure that is enough to keep me with an Apple iPhone to be honest.. I was hoping for something a bit more radical..

This may be the first time where I abandon the iPhone and go with someone else..

 

[Zunjine]

That's where you are wrong, true beauty is percieved immediatly, and does not require a getting used to periode. And if it does, thats not the point in the case of the new iPhone, because it's not a radical change. Besides, you look at the world in a very naive way dude. The reason why Apple "decides" what is beautiful is their popularity and their cult followers, not because Apple has some divine knowledge. If any other less popular compony had made the iPhone 4 design, it wouldn't had sold that much and it wouln't be considered beautiful.

To sum up, if a big majority likes the design at first sight, then it truely is beautiful. If that perception is only achieved by popularity and conformity, then it's not. So now with this new iPhone, the majority don't really like it (ofcourse the fanboys like yourself do, like always) and at the same time, it's not a radical change, it will never be truely beautiful. Doesn't mean ofcourse it can't be populair and sold in huge numbers, but that's just conformity, achieved by the marketing strategy of Apple (elitism).

Wow. OK. So let's see what your points are here.

1) true beauty is immediately obvious to everyone
2) the yardstick by which we should measure good design is the immediate majority vote
3) if the majority immediately dislike something then it has no merit even if what they are reacting to is incomplete
4) if Apple's designs become popular despite being apparently disliked to begin with then that evidence can be discounted due to Apple's marketing excellence
5) the new iPhone is pretty much the same as the old one but at the same time also a lot worse than the old one

I don't think I even need to spell out how silly that is. If you can't see it then you won't listen to reason and if you can see it then you don't need me spelling it out.

 

[Sellewiet]

Wow. OK. So let's see what your points are here.

1) true beauty is immediately obvious to everyone
2) the yardstick by which we should measure good design is the immediate majority vote
3) if the majority immediately dislike something then it has no merit even if what they are reacting to is incomplete
4) if Apple's designs become popular despite being apparently disliked to begin with then that evidence can be discounted due to Apple's marketing excellence
5) the new iPhone is pretty much the same as the old one but at the same time also a lot worse than the old one

I don't think I even need to spell out how silly that is. If you can't see it then you won't listen to reason and if you can see it then you don't need me spelling it out.

Then you tell me how you can see the difference. Why is it in Apple's case that the product is beautiful, but people need to get used to it because it's radical, and not that the product is percieved as that beautiful because Apple is so popular and has so many followers?

 

[Chrisg2014]

was really looking forward for a new design, the mono tone, not a fan, that was the only thing keeping me from switching to android I already know what iOS 6 is going to look like... The only thing they haven't announced was NFC credit cards for Passbook but we all know that anyways. But Android could do that for a while, and I don't care for NFC cause if I loose my phone I loose my wallet and my connection to the world...

But if we are lucky, this is one of Apples part leaks to see if a company is "legit". Also wouldn't they bult it down to a table like the iPad? When has there been a case released on the date of a iOS Device... TO SAMSUNG GALXEY NOTE II! Just have to wait till late fall or winter god damn it... XD

 

[andyx3x]

I've purchased every generation of the iPhone but I can say 100 percent that I will not be buying this one. Hardware wise, Apple has to make a significant improvement before I buy my next iPhone.

 

[Chrisg2014]

So it looks almost exactly the same - but just a bit taller..

We also know iOS is not going to change based on the latest Beta..

Not sure that is enough to keep me with an Apple iPhone to be honest.. I was hoping for something a bit more radical..

This may be the first time where I abandon the iPhone and go with someone else..

Finally someone I agree with!

 

[DaveStott1]

Anybody else notice that there doesn't appear to be the tiny little pin hole at the side of the new headphone socket (think it was something to do with accessories)?

 

[dalexa]

there's something about this design that bothers me.

being a designer i find the spacing outside the camera so uneven that i have a hard time believing that jonathan ive let this one pass. it would be so easy to have the antennas area to be a bit larger to make the top spacing and the bottom one similar.
as it is now it's just weird...

 

[famerdave]

I am going with this being a fake "mockup".

It has no noise cancelation hole, so that means EARLY cases, will not even have a hole for a noise cancelation mic. I doubt Apple would drop that, as that is SUPER needed.

Also, for those complaining of the colors, they DONT match the backings leaked of the supposed "actual product". There just cheap "dummy" colors.
http://www.ubergizmo.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/9to5macblackandwhite.jpg

That picture looks better, although, the white seems darker than it should. The grey/black LOOKS AMAZING.

 

[Mr Hill]

The only one of the mockups that looks good aesthetically is the one where the band is black all the way around and the back in that gunmetal color.

The black one shown in the video is kind of ugly. The white one too. If that turns out to be the true design then I might stick to the 4S.

 

[Buckeyestar]

But they're still required for the antennas to function. Just like the 4S this design will probably use the top and bottom U-shaped bands as antennas.

I haven't heard of any real life issues with the 4S's antenna design, so I don't see why they would move away from that.



So what would you have them do? They tried all glass on the back. People complain that it's scratch prone and easy to crack. They tried an all plastic back and it felt cheap by comparison and had cracking issues. They can't yet mass produce radio-transparent metals, but that's obviously why they bought the rights to LiquidMetal's tech. An all-metal back would be a great design, but it just wouldn't work.

Design includes how it works.

That's what I'm not getting. If the anntenna is built into the outer band wrapping around the sides, why would it matter what the back is made of?

 

[Blakjack]

I was just starting to settle in and accept this as the new iphone until I saw this video. It's the same iPhone design as the 4/4S. I still don't think Apple would do that. I'm a pattern junkie and just don't think Apple will break their pattern of total redesign every two years.

J. IVE is better than this.

I know all the "evidence" points to this design being the truth, but something just doesn't smell right.

 

[manu chao]

Can someone PLEASE explain the purpose of that ugly two tone?

Thinner and lighter case by using a robust unibody construction combined with cut-outs to let the internal antennas work (internal antennas for Bluetooth, GPS and I think WiFi, the top and bottom metallic rims are the cellphone antennas, they are electrically insulated from the unibody metall shell).

 

[Sedrick]

You mean gaming experience? Not so sure, I think we'll see games and other apps take great advantage of the extra height. And I'm sure Apple will give us some good reasons to be excited about it on the 12th.

And there's no question the height is better for the video experience (a big part of the media experience).

By the way, it's not tall and skinny, just tall. It's no skinnier than it's ever been.

Oh, it's tall and skinny all right. In my book a 2" wide screen is damn skinny. Exacerbated by making it only taller. 16:9 is fine when you have an over all larger screen. Half-ass phone makers were making small 16:9 screens years ago, but now it's genius because Apple has finally gotten around to it.

This might be a dumb question, can some one explain me the difference and further more benefit of a wider rather than taller screen?

If people have to explain to you why a 2" wide screen isn't wide enough... but I'll try. Everything on the phone in portrait mode (where you're at most of the time) will be a bit larger. This means you can actually read the text in iBooks and on web pages without zooming so much. It also means you won't have to have pencil sharp finger tips to actually enter text into text fields. Simple stuff like that makes your whole experience much more pleasant.

1. 16:9 aspect ratio, which is the most common aspect ratio for videos nowadays.

2. Wider (when holding vertically) => harder to hold. Taller => still fits in hand the same way.

3. Maybe the components fit in better? Making it wider might end up wasting space on the bottom. I'm not sure about this.

Simply put, this taller screen is a way to placate iphone users who, generally, prefer a small phone, while now being able to say "we have a 4" screen now guys!"

Also, while keeping the iPhone one of the smallest on the market, you'll be more apt to buy the iPad Mini. See how that works out?

So it looks almost exactly the same - but just a bit taller..

We also know iOS is not going to change based on the latest Beta..

Not sure that is enough to keep me with an Apple iPhone to be honest.. I was hoping for something a bit more radical..

This may be the first time where I abandon the iPhone and go with someone else..

It's a let down for sure. I'm on a 2 year old used iPhone 4. I don't know if this lack-luster rehash of an iPhone 4 and bare minimum attention to updating the OS is enough to send me to Android, but it may be enough for me to just buy a used 4S.

 

[manu chao]

The two tone design is only acceptable if they get rid of those idiotic antenna bands.

Are they seriously keeping those?? Give me a break. There are countless other phones on the market that don't need out-of-place, off-color stripes on all sides of the device to function properly.

And do they have a full-metal back and metal sides?

 

[STiNG Operation]

Can someone please tell me why people are just "LOOKING" for a reason to leave the iPhone? It must just be human nature....lol

But seriously imo the iPhone will be the best phone functionally, physically and simplistically on the market for awhile yet.

 

[Nebrie]

That's what I'm not getting. If the anntenna is built into the outer band wrapping around the sides, why would it matter what the back is made of?

The cell antenna wraps the side. They moved the BT/WiFi antennas inside (see: antennagate)

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It has no noise cancelation hole, so that means EARLY cases, will not even have a hole for a noise cancelation mic. I doubt Apple would drop that, as that is SUPER needed.

It's now on the back between the camera and the flash.

 

[manu chao]

I haven't heard of any real life issues with the 4S's antenna design, so I don't see why they would move away from that.

Why let facts get into the way of a good polemic or a sense of feeling superior by knowing better?

So what would you have them do? They tried all glass on the back. People complain that it's scratch prone and easy to crack.

Glass is the least scratch prone material you can have. It downsides are weight and not being as fall-proof. But I am sure that at most one or two percent of all iPhone 4(s) owners ever crack the glass. And replacing the back glass is relatively easy and affordable.

 

[RichBoi99]

As you can see this is not official

The 2 tone colors are black but the phone suppose to rep white.....hmmmmm, the screen isnt flush with the body....hmmmmm, we really dont know what the final product will look like, yes it will be similar but we still dont know til Apple says so

 

[bushido]

i wonder what "special features" it'll get to make it worth switching from the iPhone 4S. so far nothing seems to indicate that it'll do things the iPhone 4S isnt capable of doing besides the slightly bigger screen.


anyway, i'm looking forward to Cooks "uhm ... pause ... uhm ... pause ... uhm .... pause" keynote

 

[Macclone]

I said it before and I'll say it again, I want a bigger screen not a taller screen. But I am very invested in the iOS ecosystem. I'm not sure it is enough to keep me though.

We heard you the first time. Call Tim, I am sure he cares about your opinion and will change the design and revamp production just because you say the same thing repeatedly.

Go buy a POS android and have fun with your buddies at the android forums.

OR WAIT FOR APPLE TO ACTUALLY ANNOUNCE THE NEXT PHONE!

 

[Buckeyestar]

The cell antenna wraps the side. They moved the BT/WiFi antennas inside (see: antennagate)

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It's now on the back between the camera and the flash.

I remember Steve showing that part of the outer band was for Bluetooth and wifi.

 

[69650]

Can someone PLEASE explain the purpose of that ugly two tone?

I think it's to bring the iPhone in line with the core design aesthetic across all Apple products now which is basically black/white and silver.

I must admit I'm not a fan of this colour scheme and I never have been. I just don't like silver. I would much prefer if they changed it to go all black or all white - on their iOS devices and computers. I think that would look so much more stylish. I wish I had some confidence that they will change it but sadly I don't. I bet this is the colour scheme for the foreseeable future.

It will be really interesting to see how the new iPhone does against the myriad of great looking new smartphones coming out this year.

I wouldn't swap my iPad for another tablet because frankly iTunes still has by far and away the best content. Google Play is just lame by comparison. But I would consider swapping my iPhone. All I have on it is a few app's and some music anyway and I can get those on another platform. I'm much more interested in the iPhone as a phone come PDA.

 

[DudeDad]

Can someone PLEASE explain the purpose of that ugly two tone?

Perhaps it's to entice you to buy a case, keeping the case manufacturers in business!

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i wonder what "special features" it'll get to make it worth switching from the iPhone 4S. so far nothing seems to indicate that it'll do things the iPhone 4S isnt capable of doing besides the slightly bigger screen.


anyway, i'm looking forward to Cooks "uhm ... pause ... uhm ... pause ... uhm .... pause" keynote

How about LTE network? That little feature makes it much better than a 4S, if speed is important to you....

 

[69650]

We heard you the first time. Call Tim, I am sure he cares about your opinion and will change the design and revamp production just because you say the same thing repeatedly.

Go buy a POS android and have fun with your buddies at the android forums.

OR WAIT FOR APPLE TO ACTUALLY ANNOUNCE THE NEXT PHONE!

He's not alone in wanting a bigger not taller screen, and believe me if enough people starting turning away you can bet Tim will start listening. The iPhone accounts for about half of Apple's revenue now so any slowdown in sales will have a major impact on their bottom line.

Do you think the real thing will look any different when it's announced on the 12th coz I don't but I will gladly be proved wrong.