The two tone is a little jarring at first, but it differentiates the phone from every other Android phone out there. iPhones are highly symbolic of "cool" and if it just had a plain black back it would not stand out from the rest, this two tone lets everybody else know you've got the new iPhone. It will be very iconic much the same the 4 design is.
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"iPhone 5" Back Cover Hands-On Video
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The long skinny look doesn't do it for me, it needs to be just a little wider and less remote control like.
Remote style is perfect for controlling apple tv.
Would it be possible they added aluminium at the back, pushed the camera at the top (which is not very nice), put the head phone jack at the bottom and changed the connector pin to charge the phone without having to connect it ? just by leaving it a new kind of "dock station generation". Then I think those changes in the design could make sense...
The reason for the black band on the top and bottom of the back is simple. This new phone has the same antennae band as the 4S. That means the top and bottom region are the two antennae. Since its unibody, using metal for the entire back reintroduces the iPhone 4 signal problem. When holding it, you would connect the metal back with the antennae. By putting glass or plastic over those regions, you eliminate that problem.
What I keep questioning is why is it only casing though? They have this case in their hands but no inside hardware etc. Do you think that it was pulled from a factory line or something? What would lead to having a leak of just a casing?
Wow, the black actually looks way better than it does in the pictures. Thats why I think pictures are so deceiving until you see the real thing in person.
I may even switch to Black this year, even though I prefer the white iPhones. Can't wait to see the white version of it.
I may even switch to Black this year, even though I prefer the white iPhones. Can't wait to see the white version of it.
The antennas are still in the band.
But IF they wanted to eliminate the glass back and use an all metal back, the metal would span from band to band and bridge or short the bands.
A back that's a composite of metal and non-metal would solve the problem and Apple just happens to hold the patent for bonding dissimilar materials in a truly seamless manner.
Makes perfect sense.
Why are so many people saying this? You are wrong for two reasons:
Whenever I put my iPhone in my pocket, it always goes in upside down. Hold your iPhone to your ear as if you're using it, now go to put it in your pocket. The natural position is to put it in the pocket upside down. Same thing applies if you have it in your hand and then go to put it in your pocket. The most natural motion, without manually turning the phone around, is for the phone to go in the pocket upside down.
Also, have you ever seen an iPod Touch? Headphone jack is on the bottom. No way Apple would put the jack on the bottom? Wrong, they already did on the device that's primary function is as an iPod.
Hmmm
I love the new design, although it may be a prototype, the physical improvements are looking very appealing (except the two tone back)
I just want to see what the white 'new' iphone looks like in person
I love the new design, although it may be a prototype, the physical improvements are looking very appealing (except the two tone back)
I just want to see what the white 'new' iphone looks like in person
my five cents....
...I actually like the design. Most likely, what Apple learned from the iPhone 4(S) is that an exposed antenna causes issues when people touch it despite nifty coating etc. Then, you have several choices: Glass, plastic, metal, or ceramic.
Glass is brittle and even Gorilla Glass can scratch. There were a lot of complaints and even lawsuits about the glass back. Also, glass usually needs to be thicker than metal.
Plasic is out of question for Apple. They can't talk it down when competitors use it (because of its obvious disadvantages) and then use it.
Metal (most likely steel or aluminum) is a preferred design choice by Apple but it has the problem to act as a Faraday Cage meaning not letting the antenna do its job. Hence, Apple probably chose to put some different material on the top and bottom part.
Ceramics would be my choice. It is rather expensive to mass-produce in comparison to glass because it has to be backed hotter than liquidation of glass and undergoes a controlled shrink etc. It is not as brittle and virtually scratch resistant. You would need a diamond to scratch it, basically. Given that aluminum scratches easily and even steel scratches as well, the corners made of Ceramics would be nice.
So, my hopes are on ceramics as the corner pieces.
...I actually like the design. Most likely, what Apple learned from the iPhone 4(S) is that an exposed antenna causes issues when people touch it despite nifty coating etc. Then, you have several choices: Glass, plastic, metal, or ceramic.
Glass is brittle and even Gorilla Glass can scratch. There were a lot of complaints and even lawsuits about the glass back. Also, glass usually needs to be thicker than metal.
Plasic is out of question for Apple. They can't talk it down when competitors use it (because of its obvious disadvantages) and then use it.
Metal (most likely steel or aluminum) is a preferred design choice by Apple but it has the problem to act as a Faraday Cage meaning not letting the antenna do its job. Hence, Apple probably chose to put some different material on the top and bottom part.
Ceramics would be my choice. It is rather expensive to mass-produce in comparison to glass because it has to be backed hotter than liquidation of glass and undergoes a controlled shrink etc. It is not as brittle and virtually scratch resistant. You would need a diamond to scratch it, basically. Given that aluminum scratches easily and even steel scratches as well, the corners made of Ceramics would be nice.
So, my hopes are on ceramics as the corner pieces.
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<steve jobs mode on>
what the ****** did you do with the headphone connector on the bottom, you ridiculous fools, can you get nothing right, i should fire you all at this very moment (starts crying)
<steve jobs mode off>
The dock connector I'm not too happy about either, but I think you will have converrter plugs to the old dock connector.
what the ****** did you do with the headphone connector on the bottom, you ridiculous fools, can you get nothing right, i should fire you all at this very moment (starts crying)
<steve jobs mode off>
The dock connector I'm not too happy about either, but I think you will have converrter plugs to the old dock connector.
photoshop request
Someone with superior skills than me (everyone), should make an image side-by-side with this one that shows the new dimensions. We know it's 7 mm taller, the width of a glass panel thinner, and the same width.
http://images.apple.com/iphone/iphone-4/images/iphone4_techspecs_dimensions.jpg
Someone with superior skills than me (everyone), should make an image side-by-side with this one that shows the new dimensions. We know it's 7 mm taller, the width of a glass panel thinner, and the same width.
http://images.apple.com/iphone/iphone-4/images/iphone4_techspecs_dimensions.jpg
I wonder if the extra vertical resolution will be used for some kind of omnipresent notifications or widgets bar, leaving apps their original size. Except for video playback, which would use the entire screen.
Thats the same thing people said about the iphone 4... The ice cream sandwich look is not something apple would do... and those horrible black lines (antenna) Ive's would never design anything that atrocious. And look how many they went on to sell, its become one of the greatest designs.
and as far as the pin dock connector does that mean manufacturers shouldn't change parts because they have been using it for many generations? If everybody thought this way we would still be using flip phones with analog displays
Micro USB doesn't support most of the pins that the current 30-pin dock connector does, such as audio line out, video out, etc. Sure, micro USB is great for charging and syncing, but lots of people use the direct line-out audio capabilities because the audio is cleaner than what goes through a pre-amp on it's way to the headphone jack. You'd lose functionality by going with USB.
definitely looks better than the original photos. people that keep complaining about the smaller dock connecter need to think about the bigger picture. This was a change out of necessity rather than apple just trying to be different. The new connecter will obviously be carried across all new iOS devices and pave the way for smaller and thinner designs. There will just be an adjustment period while the third party devices play catch-up.
Not the final package
I'm sure that the parts in the video are used for assembling prototypes to do field testing. The final enclosure might be a unibody case that will be kept secret until the very last moment.
Since the antenna bands are still on the outside, there's no need to test the final unibody casing.
As many others already said, the backside is not something that Apple would ship, it's just a cheap way to assemble the new display into a cheap package.
I saw Nokia prototypes that would be wrapped in really cheap packaging just to be able to assemble the parts in its final positions. I'm fairly certain that what we see here is not the final design.
In my opinion the design update will be the most important factor to Apple.
Because the SG III has failed completely in that regard
(I ordered one to extend my T-Mobile contract in germany. I will order the iPhone 5 online with no netlock from Apple)
I'm sure that the parts in the video are used for assembling prototypes to do field testing. The final enclosure might be a unibody case that will be kept secret until the very last moment.
Since the antenna bands are still on the outside, there's no need to test the final unibody casing.
As many others already said, the backside is not something that Apple would ship, it's just a cheap way to assemble the new display into a cheap package.
I saw Nokia prototypes that would be wrapped in really cheap packaging just to be able to assemble the parts in its final positions. I'm fairly certain that what we see here is not the final design.
In my opinion the design update will be the most important factor to Apple.
Because the SG III has failed completely in that regard
(I ordered one to extend my T-Mobile contract in germany. I will order the iPhone 5 online with no netlock from Apple)
I can explain you why, The jack is X big and the top is now Y big. Y<X in size due to the screen moving higher up. The only place to put it is on the bottom over by the home button since there is room the for the X long jack.