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vcao

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jul 1, 2010
133
0
I'm surprised nobody has brought this up recently? With all the leaks nobody has been able to confirm aluminum or stainless steel right? hmmmm...

 
I don't get what's so hard to get from his post:

He's talking about the strap of metal on the back of the leaked iPhone. He's enquiring if it's not aluminium or stainless steel but liquid metal.

If you look at the current sim tool *the small tool that you poke into the current iPhone 4S/4 to release the sim card tray* that is made out of liquid metal. It has similar properties from the aesthetics of the tool and the leaked backplate.
 
I don't get what's so hard to get from his post:

He's talking about the strap of metal on the back of the leaked iPhone. He's enquiring if it's not aluminium or stainless steel but liquid metal.

If you look at the current sim tool *the small tool that you poke into the current iPhone 4S/4 to release the sim card tray* that is made out of liquid metal. It has similar properties from the aesthetics of the tool and the leaked backplate.

I get it
I don't buy it
 
Im guessing aluminum, because the machine their laptops/desktops out of aluminum.
 
Unless liquid metal will make the iPhone shoot lasers and allow me to control the phone via brain waves, then I couldn't care less about it being included.
 
What's the advantage over aluminum? I don't want my phone becoming a weapon of skynet...
 
This has been brought up repeatedly. I don't understand why people care so much. Either way the answer is no, not this year.
 
I'm surprised nobody has brought this up recently? With all the leaks nobody has been able to confirm aluminum or stainless steel right? hmmmm...

[url=http://img809.imageshack.us/img809/2506/t1000w.jpg]Image[/URL]

I'm no expert, but if it were LiquidMetal wouldn't it me moulded rather than machined?

----------

If you look at the current sim tool *the small tool that you poke into the current iPhone 4S/4 to release the sim card tray* that is made out of liquid metal. It has similar properties from the aesthetics of the tool and the leaked backplate.

I don't think it does - the sim tool is shiny, the back plate looks dark and matt, doesn't it?
 
If/When Apple makes an iPhone with a liquid metal back, we won't even really notice. That's the whole point. It's not a "feature" it's just there. The same way they went from plastic to glass. Yeah it feels different and it looks different but its function is the same. Yes it's more durable but it has the same job that the plastic/glass backs have.

I'm not against it being used sometime in the future, I just don't understand the obsession with it. It's doesn't enhance the user experience the way a new OS or an added feature does.
 
For the current use, I see no advantage over hardened, aircraft grade aluminum. Liquid metal is a combination of three or more metals giving it superior strength and flexibility but no real advantage over what it looks like we're getting (aluminum). That and I don't think you can give it that cool metallic annodized treatment you can with aluminum.
 
I think there's a very good chance that the rumored iphone's case will be made out of liquid metal. For one thing, why did Apple bother to acquire an exclusive license for consumer electronics use? Hinges for their laptops? More sim tray ejector pins? Right.. No, the metal is ideal for manufacturing small portable devices, due to its strength and hardness. Take those pretty mirror finished top and bottom edges on the new iphone for example, especially the white one. They won't stay pretty for long with bare aluminium, hardened or not. Since liquid metal is harder than steel and much harder than aluminium, such design features will look good for a very long time. Furthermore, because it's much stronger, parts can be made thinner. And since thinness is something Apple seems to strive for, and they're sitting on that license, why not make use of it?

To me, that back case looks like a molded part anyway, despite some designer on some blog thinks he sees cnc 'tool paths'.

I give it a 50/50 chance :)
 
I think there's a very good chance that the rumored iphone's case will be made out of liquid metal. For one thing, why did Apple bother to acquire an exclusive license for consumer electronics use? Hinges for their laptops? More sim tray ejector pins? Right..

Why get an exclusive at all, except to prevent others from using it.

Perhaps it's part of Steve Job's vendetta against Samsung, since the latter had used LiquidMetal since 2002 for trim and hinges, and even made an $1800 luxury phone out of it in 2008.

The LM inventors would have to make a breakthrough in cost for it to be used for more than just a little trim. That could be happening, since Apple just extended their exclusive coverage of years of invention from 2012 to 2014. Perhaps the LM inventors are getting close.
 
Metal

How about a Apple Logo like the Have it in macbooks
The logos turns On when u are on a call

Wont it look good a small apple logo with white light...

Will look stunning
 
Why get an exclusive at all, except to prevent others from using it.

Perhaps it's part of Steve Job's vendetta against Samsung, since the latter had used LiquidMetal since 2002 for trim and hinges, and even made an $1800 luxury phone out of it in 2008.
I thought about that. Seems far fetched, but you could be right. Let's say it's probably something that crossed the minds at Apple. An added benefit.

The LM inventors would have to make a breakthrough in cost for it to be used for more than just a little trim. That could be happening, since Apple just extended their exclusive coverage of years of invention from 2012 to 2014. Perhaps the LM inventors are getting close.
I don't know about that. Looking at their site it seems they are able to make fairly complex things. I'm pretty sure a phone frame won't be a problem. The way I see it, the only drawback is increased cost over aluminium.
 
I don't know about that. Looking at their site it seems they are able to make fairly complex things. I'm pretty sure a phone frame won't be a problem. The way I see it, the only drawback is increased cost over aluminium.

Yep, that's what I said: it needs a breakthrough in cost.

As mentioned, Samsung used LiquidMetal for a phone frame years ago, but it cost a fortune at the time. The dual-SIM phone was advertised as being corrosion and scratch resistant.

2008_samsung_ego.png

The funny thing is, I think that without the cool name most people wouldn't pay much attention to this alloy. Its qualities really make it more like "Plastic Metal", but who wants a phone made of that ?! :)
 
How about a Apple Logo like the Have it in macbooks
The logos turns On when u are on a call

Wont it look good a small apple logo with white light...

Will look stunning

Yeh but if you are on a call you won't see the logo, so what's the point.
 
The funny thing is, I think that without the cool name most people wouldn't pay much attention to this alloy. Its qualities really make it more like "Plastic Metal", but who wants a phone made of that ?! :)
You've hit the nail on the head right there. I can't fathom why anyone gives a damn if the iPhone has 'liquid metal' in it or not. Except to say:
 

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