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Lost Next-Generation iPhone Believed to Be Late-Stage or Final Design
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Pay attention!
1) In 2006, Apple filed a patent for using zirconia (ceramic) as part of the exterior of mobile devices. They picked zirconia, or zirconium dioxide, for its combination of durability and radio signal transparency.
2) They moved from aluminum on the original iPhone to plastic on the 3G. This was only done because aluminum got too much in the way of the 3G signal, and they weren't done figuring out how to use zirconia. It took them 4 years, and the end result is the phone that Gizmodo got their hands on.
What took them so long, well... the problem with zirconium dioxide is that it's an industrial grade thermal insulation material that refuses to let any heat out, and as 3GS owners know those things can get smoking hot. So Apple had to figure out a way to sneak the heat past the zirconia, which is why the phone now has a metal unibody.
Correct. I'm guessing the older prototype is from a time when Apple still had this pipe dream of eliminating the screws, but stress tests showed that if the 30-pin connector isn't secured with screws it will sooner or later snap off and disappear into the phone.
I'd say that's a fair assessment. However, we don't have confirmation that the back is ceramic. It's simple speculated.
Backside material
I'm telling you people. The back material won't be aluminum. Whether it's this year or next, the design for this year's phone as you see it has a material on the back that will accept touch commands. The back of the phone will be touch sensitive, so aluminum is out. Plastic is out. We already know they filed the patent for the technology so the design has to adapt to it.
I'm telling you people. The back material won't be aluminum. Whether it's this year or next, the design for this year's phone as you see it has a material on the back that will accept touch commands. The back of the phone will be touch sensitive, so aluminum is out. Plastic is out. We already know they filed the patent for the technology so the design has to adapt to it.
The image is older....BUT is the phone older? When the photos were taken has nothing to do with the production date
Yeah, there's a lot of things we don't know since Gizmodo only had the phone, not the skills. But they did say it appeared to be ceramic, and a MR poster who works with ceramics for a living was 100% convinced it was zirconia just from examining the pictures, and we also have that patent application from 2006, so I'd say there's some pretty good evidence even though it's not entirely conclusive. And finally there's the design of the prototype itself which appears to be tailor made for heat dissipation through everything *but* the back. Of course, Apple may also have made the aluminum body just for the heck of using aluminum again, but still, the design supports, or at least doesn't contradict, the zirconia theory.
No, this looks "clunky":
That's not clunky, it's topographic!
Actually, if most people take the time to look on their first gen iPhones, they will notice the black plastic volume rocker is split / cracked in the middle. This is a widespread unnoticed issue, so declared by me. No one I know has a first gen iPhone that doesn't have a crack in the center of the rocker.
Nobody knows for sure, but the circumstantial evidence suggests that the Chinese one is older -- it has a fake logo on it and no fine print about serial number, FCC etc. It would be a tad weird if the old one had the near-final Apple text on it but the new one only had a weird Sony Ericsson-like logo.
I'm no fan of the plastic rocker either, but the iPad has one so there is at least some recent evidence that Apple don't plan on changing that particular aspect of the design.
Example? If you're going through the trouble to insult an audience (as you often do) you could at least take the time and site an example or two. Make it interesting at least.
That's not clunky, it's topographic!
Actually, if most people take the time to look on their first gen iPhones, they will notice the black plastic volume rocker is split / cracked in the middle. This is a widespread unnoticed issue, so declared by me. No one I know has a first gen iPhone that doesn't have a crack in the center of the rocker.
Wow! just checked mine!
I never noticed. But to be fair my 1st gen has been through the wars a bit.
Just because you don't like it doesn't mean we shouldn't like it too. Ever heard of an opinion?
I don't see how anyone couldn't like this phone. WAY better than the previous gen, and everything about it is better.
Yeah, I agree that it's most likely ceramic. I must have missed the guy who works with ceramics posting. I am curious how well the text and apple logos will respond to chipping.
I think that's kind of obvious. If it wasn't late stage or final, you could skip all the engraving on the back.
Yep, just check mine. There is a crack there. Not surprised really the amount of times it's been dropped!
If that's the final design, it's a damn sight more attractive than that ugly plastic limpet on it's right.
My used and abused 2G rocker is intact
My used and abused 2G rocker is intact
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPhone#Hardware
Jobs also touted the buttons being all metal when they announced the 3G.
I like it!!! ...and i think it'll look even better in person. My only wish was for a slightly bigger screen, but ahhh well I'm still going to pay full price on day one and ebay the 3gs!! Can't wait!!!
Also I don't know why everyone is hating on Giz so much??? It's not like all you giz haters didn't click the link because you had moral issues with the situation. It's also not like this hurt Apple in any way shape or form. If anything it brought much more hype to the new iPhone in a time where other companies have really TRIED to step up the competition. I think this only helped Apple and gave us a sneak preview. No harm no foul!!
Also I don't know why everyone is hating on Giz so much??? It's not like all you giz haters didn't click the link because you had moral issues with the situation. It's also not like this hurt Apple in any way shape or form. If anything it brought much more hype to the new iPhone in a time where other companies have really TRIED to step up the competition. I think this only helped Apple and gave us a sneak preview. No harm no foul!!
Bezel is absolutely metal as are the buttons, just confirmed buttons with a magnet