Curved display edges seems mostly like a gimmick, as if they're running out of truly useful design features. I'd have to be convinced of any actual utility it might have. (We'll see what Apple has up its sleeve, if that is indeed their plan.) Maybe the curved edges could show battery level etc., but considering all the extra pixels the battery would have to power on those curved edges, the functionality it adds would need to be much more practical than that IMO.
A slight concave curve throughout the entire screen, on the other hand, would see multiple practical benefits, especially for a larger form factor such as the iPhone 6 is said to have. Assuming a phone is curved across its width, as seen with the Samsung Round, it would contour to your leg better when sitting in your pocket, causing less tension on the fabric of your clothes (like a flask). It’s also said that the curve of the phone helps your thumb reach across the screen more easily (aiding one handed use), and that it helps reduce the effect of glare/reflection. The potential downside to a curved display is the possibility of breakage if enough pressure is applied to the arch of the phone. But I'd imagine they could engineer it to take on quite a bit of force (as arches are actually architecturally quite strong). And honestly, how often would you lay your phone in between two cinder blocks?
If the phone wobbling when laid on its back will be a problem, Apple could design the center strip of the backside to be flat, so it can rest without movement. The up-angled side edges would also make the phone easier to pick up.
Regarding the home button--I think I've also seen this on another smartphone--it should be moved to the back of the phone (right where the apple logo is currently). For one thing, it's much easier to hold the phone with one hand and press your index finger to the back of the phone than it is to reach down to the front bottom bezel with your thumb. Even with the current iPhone size, it sometimes requires repositioning the phone in your hand, especially when trying to get Touch ID to read correctly (with one handed use). This will only get more awkward if the iPhone grows in size. But the main benefit to moving the home button to the back is that it would allow the top and bottom bezels to be symmetrically shrunken to any desirable size.
Also I want front facing speakers.
Those are my two cents. I'd love to see a slick render made of THAT iPhone. Too bad I don't know how.
(Forgive me if all these sentiments have been expressed in previous comments. There were just too many comments to read all of them.)
this looks absolutely hideous.
