MacRumors Poll: Design of the Leaked Next-Generation iPhone

[WolfgangK]

I was not real keen on the design when the images first leaked, but seeing it next to the current iPhone in a nice resolution...man, I'm starting to like it. It makes the current model look like a Russian knock-off, circa 1983.

And it would be like Apple to drastically change the design, and beat everyone else to the punch before the phone's design begins to look old in the marketplace. And to me, it certainly starts to look old when set aside this leaner and meaner 4g model(if it even looks like that upon release, which it will most likely be somewhat different or further refined).

 

[WoodNUFC]

the 'new' design repulsed me when I first saw the blurry photos, but now that I've seen the higher quality shots I have to admit that it's growing on me. The more I look at it, the more I like it.

 

[BladesOfSteel]

I'm not feeling it the new look.

I liked my original iPhone, but my 3GS feels so much better in my hand. I know it's all part of the sales pitch, but didn't Jobs say something to that extent as well when he introduced the 3G? I can't see Apple going back to a flat back.

 

[Reed Rothchild]

Lest we forget….

God, I love this site .

I'd laugh more at the people who actually thought it was real. This is never an Apple design in a million years

I really hope Engadget eats **** after this one. I'm becoming so sick of Gizmodo/Engadget/any other random tech blog.

I said in the other thread that I would buy a 3GS in the summer instead of this because this phone looks ugly as sin.



I've said it earlier in this thread - I would buy the 3GS instead of this if this was the actual design. It looks like a bad Nokia or SE device. I would be embarrassed to use this device in public because of how it looks. That's how badly designed this knock-off is.

I don't care if it was blessed with unicorn piss I would still think it's an ugly device.

Well that was obvious. Really think apple would put their name to something that looked that cheap!?

Man, looking at those pictures from the last post, I don't know how ANYONE who owns Apple products made in the last 5 years could ever believe this was an Apple design. Blech.

That thing was so ugly I knew it could never be an actual Apple product. Should have been page 2 anyway. This fooled all the major blogs. Come on guys your better than that.

I told you!! Although I said it was probably Chinese, it's still way too ugly to be an Apple product. Remember, Apple has a sense of style.

Does anyone even think they will change the form factor? That's why I assumed it was a fake. (I'm sure im not the only one)

These posts by people saying that if this product had actually come from Apple, people on this site would be falling all over themselves to say how beautiful it was are hilarious. I think the type of Apple fans on this site are also some of its harshest critics. Sure, there are some blatant apologists, but it seems like every tiny detail or problem is bitched about in great detail.

The reality is that Apple has some of the best industrial design out there at this moment. They don't make the cheapest products or the most technically advanced ones, and they still screw up some times, but it's design, not marketing, or legions of brainwashed fanboys, that keeps them in the position they are in.

There was NO way Apple would make a phone like that. C'mon who really believed it? Just admit it

 

[Habakuk]

For me the best design, don't know how to make it better. White iPhone 3G in original Dock:

 

[sammich]

Far out, this site has some pull. 14508 votes in 50 minutes!

 

[tdream]

Yes, Gizmodo:
http://gizmodo.com/5520164/this-is-apples-next-iphone

They only saw the "Connect to iTunes Screen" but claim that was enough proof for them.

Fairly convincing, but why didn't he take a photo of the itunes screen. That would erase a lot of doubt.

The part about hiding it in a 3GS like case is clever.

 

[Erwin-Br]

LOL at the people who said Apple would never design something with seams and a removable battery.

The people who hated it and now adore it a bit sad. Especially when they try to blame it on the "poor quality of the photographs".

 

[hugodrax]

Replaceable battery. I bet you can pull the bottom part out and slide the battery out to replace.

 

[lifeinhd]

Physical keyboard is on the way. OS 4.0 allows for Bluetooth keyboard connectivity so any third party can make a snap on BT slideout keyboard or incorporate it into a case.

My prediction: Apple will sell a slide out keyboard accessory that will fit perfectly against the flat back of the new iPhone, hence the loss of a curved back.

Exactly.

I think the seams could hold a clip-on physical keyboard. If they made a keyboard that fit onto the end of the phone, with clips that extended slightly upwards to the seams, it could work nicely. Kind of like this:

|-llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll-| <--clips
|llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll|
|_________________|
|llllllqwertyuioplllllllllllll|
|llllllllasdfghjkllllllllllllllll| <--keyboard
|llllllzxcvbnmlllllllllllllllll|
\_________________/


Just a thought....

Ignore the white "L's"

 

[MacPhilosopher]

Not me...

I value functionality over design. And this phone seems to have all the features I thought the current models were lacking. This phone is a vast inprovement to me.

I refuse to value one over the other, that's why I buy Apple products. They consistently deliver function and design together. However, in support of your comment, when they do choose design over function, it leads to a failed product: i.e. the cube.

 

[Scottsdale]

Lest we forget….

God, I love this site .

Nice post! So true. I was thinking that while reading new threads authenticating it while people were on the old threads still calling it fake. Really have to just wait out the finds nowadays. Almost everything like this released with the last few Apple updates have been the exact models and everyone has called them fake... we just cannot guess or think where Apple is going next.

 

[gorbok]

Fairly convincing, but why didn't he take a photo of the itunes screen. That would erase a lot of doubt.

I thought exactly the same thing. I guess Gizmodo has enough credibility to just take their word for it.

 

[benspratling]

Very ugly, not that the original iPhone wasn't.
Very functional, curved backs just made it bulky.

 

[lifeinhd]

I refuse to value one over the other, that's why I buy Apple products. They consistently deliver function and design together. However, in support of your comment, when they do choose design over function, it leads to a failed product: i.e. the cube.

The Cube was not a case of choosing design over function. I mean, look at how easy it was to upgrade compared to the Mac Mini! And it used desktop-sized parts to boot! No, the Cube failed because it was underpowered and overpriced.

And being underpowered does not necessarily mean "lacking in function." My 120HP car does not "lack in function" to a 350HP car, for example.

 

[angemon89]

Just get rid of the seam at the top.

The sim card slot on the side is kind of weird too.

 

[LagunaSol]

I initially didn't like it much, but repeated viewing has put me in the "Yes, please" camp. Simple, refined, solid-looking.

Goodbye desktop weeble wobble effect of the current iPhone.

Here's hoping for some type of shatterproof glass.

 

[Mjmar]

I'm glad that the flat back is back... The tapered edges of the 3GS were difficult to adjust to after using the original iPhone for so long. As for the design all together, I kind of like the change. The 3G and 3GS always looked a bit toyish to me. This looks like it will bring back the quality that apple is known for. I probably won't buy it for awhile because I got the 3GS last summer, but it looks very promising.

 

[TalonFlyer]

Looks Fake

Why would Apple take their design backwards from the currently somewhat ergonomic designs. I doubt it. I suspect this is a good mock-up showing some talked about features. I also doubt that Apple would allow a unit to leave the campus. I guess I'll see when I get mine at the end of June.

 

[brulafu]

I value functionality over design. And this phone seems to have all the features I thought the current models were lacking. This phone is a vast inprovement to me.

+1

Personally I like the look of this. What's wrong with a change now and then.

original iMac was a huge change, half a basketball with a swivel screen was another, then onto a flat panel on a stand. The iMac now looks nothing like its original great grandfather and I would expect this from the phones too...

Anyway....as long as the phone did all the stuff we want it to do and do it well, who really cares about what it looks like. I know I don't. (Well, maybe if it was pink with neon lights I would think twice...)

 

[bucksaddle]

Hey, MacRumors, the iPhone 3GS case iAd you keep bombarding me with at the bottom of this thread has no interest anymore

 

[Dr Kevorkian94]

i love the new design, some people are complaining about the seems on the sides and front but i like them it gives it a not so plain thing on the other hand it would be nice without them. so im 50/50 on the seems but the overall design looks great.

 

[MacPhilosopher]

I've disliked the curved backs because that leads to a lot of unused space; try as they might, even succeed as they have, you can only cram so much squared-off 90*-angled flat-surfaced components into a round space. Flatten the case and use/lose the orthogonal space.

I love the curved design, but agree with you about the inefficiency of curves in terms of space. Though, I imagine there are exceptions. Especially when you are designing your own components.

 

[goobot]

im i the only one happy about the micro-sim?

 

[phillipjfry]

FTA: Other rumors have suggested the iPhone may also be expanding to other carriers such as Verizon.

I wouldn't say so much the iPhone 4G is being released/expanded to carriers such as Verizon, but that Verizon is expanding THEIR NETWORK to support the new iPhone

Splitting hairs?