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Liquidmetal-Based iPhone 5 to Launch at WWDC in June?
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The iPhone is Apple's cash cow today and is the product line with the highest gross margins.
The site operators simply decided to retain the original domain name despite this shift in Apple's business focus.
The "Mac" is a brand of personal computer created by Apple Inc., formerly known as Apple Computer, Inc. While it still makes up a portion of Apple's overall revenue, it is not as important to the company's bottom line as the various iOS product lines.
The iPhone is Apple's cash cow today and is the product line with the highest gross margins.
The site operators simply decided to retain the original domain name despite this shift in Apple's business focus.
Correct. The days of numbers died with Steve. From here on out, iPad, iPod, iPhone. There will be new alloys in this phone. Where, I don't know. But they will be from Liquid Metal's Breakthrough. Just as Samsung will go Ceramic. Liquid Metal will shed heat faster than a ceramic durable enough to be dropped hundreds of times.
Good thing Samsung is going to settle with Apple. They know what is coming down the mountain.
aside from the June or October speculation, I don't think it is likely we will see a liquid metal iPhone this year. If we do, AWESOME and I would be glad to pick one up. But I doubt Apple has put in enough R&D/prototype testing into the idea to be ready for a release yet. I'd give it another year or two before we see liquid metal. Just my opinion, and believe me I hope I'm wrong!
1) Samsung was using Liquid Metal for phone trim pieces years ago. It's not a magical substance; it's simply good where you want to hide nicks.
2) Ceramic is radio transparent. Metal is not. Ceramic makes more sense as a major case material. Liquid Metal is best for corner / edge trim.
Good thing Samsung is going to settle with Apple. They know what is coming down the mountain.
My guess is that Samsung leaked the possibility of using ceramic as a preemptive strike against Apple, who could have been planning something similar.
Liquid Metal
The term liquid metal is a little misleading. A little chemistry background info:
Metals normally have their atoms arranged in a particular pattern known as a crystalline structure. The way liquid metal works is that they melt the metal (hence its name) and they rapidly cool it down before the atoms have a chance to rearrange to its normal crystalline structure. Instead, the atoms harden in a random jumbled position known as amorphous. This amorphous metal due to its randomized atomic structure some how adds more stability to the bonds and overall structure. This allows thinner metal casings with more durability. If done properly and once perfected can significantly add to the stability.
The term liquid metal is a little misleading. A little chemistry background info:
Metals normally have their atoms arranged in a particular pattern known as a crystalline structure. The way liquid metal works is that they melt the metal (hence its name) and they rapidly cool it down before the atoms have a chance to rearrange to its normal crystalline structure. Instead, the atoms harden in a random jumbled position known as amorphous. This amorphous metal due to its randomized atomic structure some how adds more stability to the bonds and overall structure. This allows thinner metal casings with more durability. If done properly and once perfected can significantly add to the stability.
The only problem I see with this is that Liquidmetal (taken from their own site) is very resistant to conductivity. This would mean that there would have to be an antenna system like you see now with the steel band around the phone.
Perhaps the next phone should be called;
iPhone-LTE-3G-801.11n-GSM/CDMA-16gig/32gig/64gig.
Descriptive enough?
Could you name a consumer product that includes any description of its functionality in its name?
Mustang - Will the customer know they are buying a car or a horse?
Corvette - Will the customer know they are buying a car or a boat?
I guess you're not familiar with any of the mobile products that Apple has released over the past 2-3 years.
Apple could use plastic cutouts like they do for the iPad and iPod touch. Those have metal backs.
Or they could continue with their current practice of using the metal bands encircling the iPhone as antennas, just like the past two iPhone models. In any case, this would not be the first phone with a metal back. If I recall correctly, the original iPhone had a metal back.
So it's not a big deal. Plus, I hear that Apple has some decent hardware engineers.
wrong guess
But - It's not going to happen... actually because of the decent hardware engineers and their wisdom
But OK if you like to dream - dream on.
I never said that I was hoping for a metal back on the next iPhone.wrong guess
But - It's not going to happen... actually because of the decent hardware engineers and their wisdom
But OK if you like to dream - dream on.
I'm pretty happy with the reception on my iPhone 4S. Apple really got this design right, plus the camera kicks ass.
Glass or metal back doesn't really matter that much to me. Before this iPhone, I had been an iPod touch owner since the very first model, so I am perfectly comfortable with the metal back.
Not a big deal.
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I don't see how it is a preemptive strike. Would someone buy a Samsung device over an Apple on the account of build materials alone?
Sorry if I wasn't clear. I meant publicity wise as far who is first.
I think it's more likely that Apple would want to bring out a ceramic cased iPhone, than to go back to a metal case with a plastic antenna window (*) like the first model.
So by hinting about using ceramic ahead of time, Samsung not only prevents claims of copying, they might also make Apple change their minds about using ceramic themselves. It's a preemptive move.
(*) From the FCC reports and Apple patent, we know that the metal strip around the outside of the iPhone 4/4S is just a part of the cell antennas. The main antennas are apparently still inside the phone and require radio transparent material, which is one reason why Apple used glass.
I'm still confused because GSIII is due out before the next iPhone by all accounts. Whether or not they leak it, it still comes out before and Apple has the same decision to make based on not being "first."
Yeah, Head thought the same way too back in the mid 2000's...why release our premiere product with a "novel" (?) technology. Oh, no, that's wrong. They did, and I had one, and so did many pros, and it was used in their racquets for years and years.
Why it doesn't make sense is because Apple have seemingly invested several truckloads of cash in Duralumin...all of their products are made of it in some way or other, and until they figure out a way to use Liquidmetal (maybe their choice was purely to purchase the exclusivity because they can) across the line, then I don't see it rearing its head any time this year, and maybe even next.