Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
iPhone N94 Prototype Back Cover - Is this actually the iPhone 5?
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
How many times can apple afford to completely redesign the cell phone? Furthermore how many different redesigns can they make before they all start looking alike?
Yes, please! iPhone 4's design is sublime. If 5 just fixes everything that was questionable about it and revs the insides to today's specs, then sign me up!
Just showing my inexperience with the iPhone 4 internals. I can't honestly expect plastic to be significantly cheaper to produce though, in context with the cost of the device as a whole.
In which case, I maintain that it's class with an adhesive plastic protector.
Damn and I was hoping for a larger screen... 4.65 inch nexus prime anyone?
yeah if this is the iPhone 5 I may get the Samsung Galaxy 2... its pretty sweet
I love a phone that shatters both the front and back when you drop it. Glass construction all the way.
I refuse to believe Apple would be so stupid as to continue with an industrial design that's received, by Apple standards, incredible amounts of negative press between Antenna gate and the scores of reports of back shatters on small drops.
There's definitely a plastic protecting cover involved there. You can see the tab sticking off the top in the photo.
2009
8 GB iPhone 3G - 99$
16 GB iPhone 3GS - 199$
32 GB iPhone 3GS - 299$
2010
8 GB iPhone 3GS - 99$
16 GB iPhone 4 - 199$
32 GB iPhone 4 - 299$
Considering that, why would anyone believe the following won't be what happens :
2011
8 (or 16) GB iPhone 4 - 99$
16 (or 32) GB iPhone 5 - 199$
32 (or 64) GB iPhone 5 - 299$
Remember guys : Everytime we over think an Apple product refresh, everyone is let down by how little Apple actually changed.
8 GB iPhone 3G - 99$
16 GB iPhone 3GS - 199$
32 GB iPhone 3GS - 299$
2010
8 GB iPhone 3GS - 99$
16 GB iPhone 4 - 199$
32 GB iPhone 4 - 299$
Considering that, why would anyone believe the following won't be what happens :
2011
8 (or 16) GB iPhone 4 - 99$
16 (or 32) GB iPhone 5 - 199$
32 (or 64) GB iPhone 5 - 299$
Remember guys : Everytime we over think an Apple product refresh, everyone is let down by how little Apple actually changed.
I love a phone that shatters both the front and back when you drop it. Glass construction all the way.
I refuse to believe Apple would be so stupid as to continue with an industrial design that's received, by Apple standards, incredible amounts of negative press between Antenna gate and the scores of reports of back shatters on small drops.
I agree with taking the glass away. It is a phone, not your Grandmas Crystle Vase.
Re-releasing the iPhone 4's awful industrial design to the current market is just asking to be savaged by critics, who will rightfully ding the phone for:
1. Not being competitive with current Android offerings (no LTE / 4G support, no large screen, no improved battery life)
2. Not justifying the wait and cost when it supports exactly 0 new features in iOS 5 compared to the iPhone 4
3. Not increasing durability when the glass build has been roundly criticized as being too fragile to use for building a piece of consumer electronics.
Sell on Apple stock if this is the best their geniuses have cooked up for the iPhone 4S.
I can't imagine that it would take Apple a 15 months to design almost an exact copy of the current phone. I hope this is a 4s and not the iPhone 5.
You mean like happened with the re-release of the iPhone 3G in 2009 and the re-release of the 3GS in 2010 ?
Please, as long as the iPhone 5 is great, no one gives a crap that Apple keeps selling last year's model for 99$ or 549$ unlocked.
Wow what a surprise, mac rumors states what I said in the other part leak thread and have also believed all along. This IS the iPhone 5. Many have stated it will be the same design and size as the iPhone 4 for months. It's only been wishful thinking it will be a lot bigger and total redesign.
But, we do also have a possibility of a totally new iPhone as well as an iPhone 4s I think. Both with a5 etc but one clocked higher, both with better cameras, the higher model with NFC. Etc.
OR another scenario is an iPhone 4S this year with the a5 and a completely new phone next year to match the brand new a6 CPU/ GPU.
Ah who knows. I'm hoping for an iPhone 4s cause I like the size but want an a5 and better camera. But then hope for an iPhone 5 too for everyone that wants a 4" plus screen.
I bet we will be kept in the dark till the end of September lol.
But, we do also have a possibility of a totally new iPhone as well as an iPhone 4s I think. Both with a5 etc but one clocked higher, both with better cameras, the higher model with NFC. Etc.
OR another scenario is an iPhone 4S this year with the a5 and a completely new phone next year to match the brand new a6 CPU/ GPU.
Ah who knows. I'm hoping for an iPhone 4s cause I like the size but want an a5 and better camera. But then hope for an iPhone 5 too for everyone that wants a 4" plus screen.
I bet we will be kept in the dark till the end of September lol.
I love a phone that shatters both the front and back when you drop it. Glass construction all the way.
I refuse to believe Apple would be so stupid as to continue with an industrial design that's received, by Apple standards, incredible amounts of negative press between Antenna gate and the scores of reports of back shatters on small drops.
So much negative press that it became the best selling phone this year.
Incidentally, the bigger picture is starting to emerge here -- look at the facts:
1. iOS 5 is announced, with full support for the iPhone 4 and (obviously) the new iPhone 5.
2. Rumors swirl that Apple is readying a "cheap" iPhone 4 with only 8GB of storage space and other cost-saving materials (plastic screen instead of glass, etc.)
3. Rumors starting to pick up that the iPhone 5 is, in fact, the exact same industrial design as the iPhone 4.
The simple fact is that, as it stands right now, if the iPhone 5 is just a re-dress of the current form factor there's no reason to upgrade -- it's identical to the iPhone 4. So, instead of price-cutting the iPhone 4 when the 5 comes out, they're going to discontinue the 4 and replace it with this cheaper, less-usable version. In effect, they're forcing everyone who wants a new iPhone to buy the 5 even though a current-model 4 has the exact same features (give or take a MP upgrade on the camera or a useless processor update), do the exact same things, and run the exact same iOS (iOS 5) software.
Last upgrade cycle, you could a discounted 3GS if you wanted to spend less money but still get the same feature set. This go around, they're not giving you that option -- it's a memory-crippled 4 or on to the 5 at full price. Pretty savvy if you ask me.
1. iOS 5 is announced, with full support for the iPhone 4 and (obviously) the new iPhone 5.
2. Rumors swirl that Apple is readying a "cheap" iPhone 4 with only 8GB of storage space and other cost-saving materials (plastic screen instead of glass, etc.)
3. Rumors starting to pick up that the iPhone 5 is, in fact, the exact same industrial design as the iPhone 4.
The simple fact is that, as it stands right now, if the iPhone 5 is just a re-dress of the current form factor there's no reason to upgrade -- it's identical to the iPhone 4. So, instead of price-cutting the iPhone 4 when the 5 comes out, they're going to discontinue the 4 and replace it with this cheaper, less-usable version. In effect, they're forcing everyone who wants a new iPhone to buy the 5 even though a current-model 4 has the exact same features (give or take a MP upgrade on the camera or a useless processor update), do the exact same things, and run the exact same iOS (iOS 5) software.
Last upgrade cycle, you could a discounted 3GS if you wanted to spend less money but still get the same feature set. This go around, they're not giving you that option -- it's a memory-crippled 4 or on to the 5 at full price. Pretty savvy if you ask me.
What in that picture lets you definitively say that it's plastic? On the upper corner of the piece on the left you can clearly see a plastic film protruding from the actual back plate, indicating a protective cover. Other than that, none of the actual outside surface of the component is shown. The inside of the phone has white plastic around the perimeter, but that is likely just part of the supporting frame. In the picture attached, from the Ifixit teardown of the iPhone 4, you see the same thing, albeit in black (I couldn't find the white teardown).
It may very well be plastic, but no one could possibly tell from this picture.
