Photos of Complete Next-Generation iPhone Enclosure Leaked

[JGowan]

I think the teardrop design that was circulating last year is simply not realistic. There might just not be enough room until Apple is able to figure out to miniaturize the inner components to fit the limited space. Personally, I am not super-excited about this design being so close to the "4" and the "4S". Basically, this "5" design is just a longer version with a metal back. Personally, I like the glass back. It is so slick and nice -- however -- I can see why Apple would want to change it as it's quite breakable. In fact with AppleCare Plus plan, it can help Apple considerably as the chances that a side will break will decrease by 50%.

Ultimately, I trust Apple. I know that they are going to try and wow us and I will wait, ultimately, until they show the new phone, I'll reserve my judgement.

 

[physicsguy13]

Maybe it will look better in person, but just going off these photos...I really don't like it. If this turns out to be the actual phone, I will probably wait another year or two (when they'll hopefully change the design) to get an iPhone. Hate me all you want, but I'm not going to buy something I don't like.

Why would anyone hate you for making a choice? No one has to like a product and no one is forced to buy it.

 

[sine-nomine]

Why would anyone hate you for making a choice? No one has to like a product and no one is forced to buy it.

I sometimes forget after reading these boards that I'm not less of a human being for not liking this or that Apple product. Or for not liking this or that Apple competitor's product. I'll have to keep reminding myself that a person's worth is not determined by their choice or taste in mobile phones.

 

[MacCurry]

That's great if you're a scorecard junkie.

But a new iPhone... with a bigger screen... likely LTE and who knows what else...

Yeah... Apple will have no trouble selling these.

And let's take a guess on how many new phones will have Jelly Bean by October.

Actually the score card does matter. The iPhone 4s sold some nearly 19 million units world wide in the first 3 months after its release. It is the reason why AAPL has so much cash today. AAPL re-invests this in to product R&D, and that is a good thing, but the pics for the new iPhone 5 along with iOS6 look like incremental improvements. Oh yes, it will be a great product, but can it keep up with the army of androids that are also just as good or better than the iPhone 5 with iOS6?

By August the Galaxy S3 will have JB 4.1. The HTC One S and X will have it in the next couple of months. The Galaxy Nexus already has it.

----------

If Apple only cared about such things we would have 10 versions of an iPhone with every possible screen, color and shape. It's not in their philosophy and I'm glad.

Actually, AAPL has 24 versions of the iPhone (including the unlocked/contract free versions in black & white). Too bad it can't provide them in different sizes and colors within those 24 versions.

 

[xgman]

Oh, and there are only two reasons for making grossly oversized (5"+) Android phones.
1. Because Apple isn't doing it, and
2. Because Android tablets aren't selling

Or because some of us do benefit from a large screen that isn't a tablet.

 

[jmgregory1]

I'm assuming the comparison was sarcastic...

If so, I agree, and I think your comparison is right on the money. Sure, the Hyundai Genesis is a downright great looking car, no debate there. But the 911 is a Porsche. The two vehicles aren't even remotely similar. One oozes class and quality. The other is a Hyundai. One has a reputation for reliability and top notch support. The other is a Hyundai.

Perhaps the example is extreme, but the principle is the same.

Yep - I was just trying to think of another example that points to the very odd behavior I'm seeing with at least some people on these boards. With comments like "the iPhone's design is boring and innovative" or "iOS is boring and not innovative". I wonder if these people think the same way with things outside of tech?

Are they telling Honda or Toyota, Ford or GM that they're bored with having a steering wheel and they think it would be better to have it not be a steering wheel at all - maybe replace it with an led-lit cockroach because they like the lights and movement?

I get that the people making these comments are the fringe tech users because I've not come across anyone in my demographic that thinks even remotely the same way.

 

[Gjwilly]

So it looks like that mystery hole between the camera lens and the flash is a rear-facing microphone for better sound with video.
At least that's what today's story about the 4th gen iPad says.
https://www.macrumors.com/2012/07/3...aunch-with-details-on-ipad-mini-4th-gen-ipad/

It might not make it into this next iPhone but it looks like it was at least being prototyped.

 

[Hawkeye411]

My original post.

A lot of Apples innovations have lead to smaller and more powerful devices. Why would we expect a new significantly larger device?! Apple would be following and copying instead of leading. If you want to carry a rediculously large phone in your pocket, buy an android device and move along. The large android phones look rediculous. Looks like your using an iPad to make a call!! LMAO!!

So looks ARE important ? Not function now ? Hmmm , these arguments against a larger screen are more and more disturbing. Almost as if some people are defending Apple for the sake of worship or something along those lines.

It's not about "looks", it's about usability. I'm sure that you will point out that I said "large Android phones look ridiculous". It's true!! The point I was trying to make was that the larger Android phones are too big to carry around day-to-day and they are ridiculous. I'm not alone with this opinion.

Let me ask you, Have you ever used the Galaxy S3 ?

YES I have .... what's your point?

You may have an opinion without experience, evidence or facts. In the world of tech that kind of excuses your opinion as crazy talk.

???? What the heck are you talking about. I have experience. Sounds like "crazy talk" to me. LOL

Look , /....Apple is fine and all ,...... but do you really WANT this to be the new iPhone ???? Will you buy it cus you want it so bad ???

What I really want isn't important. Smaller is better has been the normal progression for most technology. Other cellphone makers couldn't keep up with Apples ability to decrease size and weight while adding features and speed so they made things larger to differentiate themselves from Apple. There is nothing innovative about their pivot. They were unable to follow Apple so they went in a different direction. This doesn't mean that Apple should or will follow.

Like I said ..... if you want a larger phone, buy an Android and a man, or lady, purse to carry it around. Personally, I'll stick with a smaller phone.

 

[lazard]

What I really want isn't important. Smaller is better has been the normal progression for most technology. Other cellphone makers couldn't keep up with Apples ability to decrease size and weight while adding features and speed so they made things larger to differentiate themselves from Apple. There is nothing innovative about their pivot. They were unable to follow Apple so they went in a different direction. This doesn't mean that Apple should or will follow.

I guess you want Apple to go down to 3" instead of up to 4" since you mantra is smaller is better.

 

[iSimx]

looking at both photos, why are the minus (volume) buttons different directions??

 

[Hawkeye411]

I guess you want Apple to go down to 3" instead of up to 4" since you mantra is smaller is better.

That's NOT what she said. LOL

 

[chr1s60]

You have obviously never taken advantage of this feature. During meetings, movies, flights and most of all @ night, this is really handy at seeing whether or not you should blind yourself with the screen..

Would love this feature too

If you are in a meeting you most likely aren't going to whip your phone out to text, regardless of whether there is an LED flashing telling you have a message or not. If you use auto-brigtness the screen does a fantastic job adjusting to the light around you. I check my phone randomly throughout the night and never feel blinded by it. Not to mention that if you have an LED flashing telling you there is a message, you will "blind" yourself by checking the message anyway.

 

[ggabriele3]

But is that because they intend to change the design very two years or because it took them those first two attempts on a brand new product to find the design they feel works and bow they have so no major changes.

Kind of like the Mac Book had the same basic design for years, same for the iMac. Etc

how could you possibly know what their reasoning was?

if you're suggesting that everyone should just accept that this is apple's final design for phones because "they feel it works," then you can go buy it.

but know that this, if true, is a bad thing. If you like Apple, you like them for their innovation. the current generation of android phones are good, but only because Apple pushed them.

 

[lazard]

What are they copying? Everything they think they can get away with.

Oh, and there are only two reasons for making grossly oversized (5"+) Android phones.
1. Because Apple isn't doing it, and
2. Because Android tablets aren't selling

3. 3.5" is ridiculously small for web browsing, gaming, watching videos, etc.

 

[Michael Scrip]

The iPhone 4s sold some nearly 19 million units world wide in the first 3 months after its release.

That number seems low.

Apple reported sales of 37 million iPhones in the quarter that the iPhone 4S was released.

And another report says 89% of iPhones purchased during that period was the iPhone 4S.

So that would be about 33 million iPhone 4S in the first 3 months... not 19 million.

By August the Galaxy S3 will have JB 4.1. The HTC One S and X will have it in the next couple of months. The Galaxy Nexus already has it.

That's a handful of phone compared to how many?

Every iPhone on the shelf in October will be running iOS 6. You will no longer be able to walk into a store and purchase an iPhone with iOS 5 ever again.

Now think about how many Android phones will be on the shelf in October still running ICS or even GB.

 

[twoodcc]

i guess it looks ok, but i still think a little wider would have made it better

 

[i0Nic]

I answer with the same question ,why a company of billions look unable to introduce something new? why do i have to face the same design for a third year?It's not like apple is the pioneer of hardware..
And second of all, who said that any of the people that complain here is asking for an android phone from apple?All they ask is for apple to design an apple product.
This thing is the same like an imac,we got the imac in white plastic then aluminum with plastic back and then all aluminum ohh lets not forget they made it thiner each time .
In the pc world it works because its a pc, but this is the phone market, things don't go as slow as the pc market(we got the same designs for decades now), you can't just go and say "we made it longer and thinner" + a bump on the insides.

Also don't forget the screen, since we are talking about the apple ecosystem and fragmentation, this screen will be here for 2-4 years, can you honestly say(not you specific but all in here) that this screen size aspect ratio can stay that long like the 3.5" did?
This iphone if this is the new iphone IMO will be a failure and that means even if it sells 20m phones will be a failure from a business point of view.
If you wonder how a phone that sells 20m pieces is a failure then you don't or can't see the big picture.

PS.My post was not for the person that i quote only.

I hear what you are saying, we all want to be blown away each year.

But there are a bunch of other considerations.

- Apple want to maintain the distinct 'iPhone' looking hardware. If they completely depart from the design, it will lose the iconic distinction. When you see someone holding this device, it will undoubtedly look like an iPhone not a Samsung device.

- The iPhone is in an evolutionary product stage. Apple have spent a lot of time time and money in research and development, this is the design that has won. Now they are refining the hardware, making it thinner and stronger. There is no need to redesign the wheel.

- There's only so much you can do with a rectangle. The only way for this device hardware to get better is to remove more and more of the hardware element until we are left with a thin screen. Apple are not going to start adding curves, bevels, grills or anything else that is unnecessary to the design.

You mentioned the iMac in the same way. The iMac is another device where the design is melting away until we are left with a beautiful screen only. The iPhone is now in a similar position.

 

[Major.Robto]

looks cool, I like it!

 

[kingestkong]

Is it that difficult to press the home or lock button to see?

Is it necessary to have a bigger screen? Was it necessary to have a retina display? Was it necessary to have the phone in white?

The answer to those and your question/comment is no. But if it offers to enhance the experience of the iPhone and entice the customer, why not include it? It's a lot easier to see an led light flash to know you have a message or email than to always click the home button.

 

[MacCurry]

That number seems low.
Every iPhone on the shelf in October will be running iOS 6. You will no longer be able to walk into a store and purchase an iPhone with iOS 5 ever again.

Now think about how many Android phones will be on the shelf in October still running ICS or even GB.

In October, you'll still be able to find the iPhone 4 and 4s, and probably some still running iOS 5. It is highly unlikely that you will find the premium Android phones in October still running GB.

AAPL is like Germany of 1944 that made great battle tanks, planes and warships, but simply could not withstand the onslaught allied war material which was initially low in quality and high in numbers, but by the end of the war became quite good. This is exactly what is going on as Android is coming up quickly like the allies. A further analogy is that 2012 today for AAPL is like 1942 for Germany. In 3 years there will be leaps and bounds in mobile computing technology, but not taken by AAPL.

 

[sine-nomine]

AAPL is like Nazi Germany of 1944 that made great battle tanks, planes and warships, but simply could not withstand the onslaught allied war material which was initially low in quality and high in numbers, but by the end of the war became quite good. This is exactly what is going on between Android coming up quickly like the allies. A further analogy is that 2012 today for AAPL is like 1942 for Nazi Germany. In 3 years there will be leaps and bounds in mobile computing technology, but not taken by AAPL.

This may be the most awesome example of Godwin I've seen.

 

[Michael Scrip]

In October, you'll still be able to find the iPhone 4 and 4s, and probably some still running iOS 5. It is highly unlikely that you will find the premium Android phones in October still running GB.

Sure... it might be a week or two until any remaining iPhone 4 and 4S with iOS 5 are sent through the channel.

But stores don't carry huge supplies of iPhones... as an iPhone doesn't sit on a shelf for very long. Stores constantly get new shipments right from the factory.

Once iOS 6 goes to the factory... every iPhone made from that point on will have iOS 6 on it.

If you buy an iPhone 3GS today... does it still have iOS 3 on it? Of course not. All new iPhones have the latest software as they leave the factory.

But even if you do get one of the remaining iOS 5 iPhones... iOS 6 can be downloaded as soon as you get home.

It is highly unlikely that you will find the premium Android phones in October still running GB.

True... by October maybe all Android phones in the store will finally be running Ice Cream Sandwich.

That sounds great... until you realize that Jelly Bean is the current version.

 

[Orange Furball]

True... by October maybe all Android phones in the store will finally be running Ice Cream Sandwich.

That sounds great... until you realize that Jelly Bean is the current version.

Android stays compatible and supported longer than iOS because of this. Just because something doesn't have the latest OS in Android land doesn't make it a bad handset. Because when developing an application you will most likely choose to make it compatible with Froyo. Android's updating cycle is different than Apple's, so I don't understand why everyone compares the two.

Sorry for side tracking! Back to original topic!

 

[gatortpk]

Where have you been the last two years? Antenna. Band. Outside the phone.

I didn't think I'd have to explain this. When I said (in reply to someone complaining about "stupid" glass strips on the new iPhone):

Phones have radios. Radio waves do not travel through metal. Hence the glass strips on the back. Remember, Wifi, GPS, Bluetooth, etc. as well as cellular radios.​

Perhaps, I should have pointed out that the stainless steel bands on the sides of the iPhone 4 are two different antennas (the 4S apparently has two pairs of antennas that carry the same function without MIMO, just the better pair at the moment). They do carry most of the more powerful radio signals, such as UMTS, GSM, but actually, some of the antennas are inside the phone. I know the Wifi Antenna is in there, I've been careful not to get my skin oils on them because that will decrease performance. (I've replaced broken screens before, and to get to the front panel, you have to take most of the components out of the phone.)

Also, did anyone notice that the new iPhone doesn't appear to have separate outer bands? It appears to be one piece with the aluminum back. Therefore they can't be antennas. However, I can't tell everything from a leaked photo, perhaps the sides of the new iPhone are electrically isolated and can still act as antennas. But there are still other antennas inside behind the glass.

I think the glass front and back was a great idea for isolating outer side antennas and having very little metal get in the way, but now it appears to be too thick. Apple doesn't want to go back to plastic, so they are using glass in the top and bottom for radio waves to go through and can keep using a thin aluminum back!

 

[gatortpk]

Isnt that what the whole band antenna thing is for? I could be wrong but I thought the band covered gps, bluetooth, wifi, and cellular so the back plate should not matter as far as blocking reception for those components. Maybe NFC is separate and can't pass through the metal so the new back could accommodate for that...?

Image

Again, as I just posted something similar:

Yes, the image above (click on it) does illustrate the antennas in the iPhone 4, but the leaked images doesn't appear to have isolated bands for antennas! They don't appear to be electrically isolated from the aluminum back, so all the radios and antennas have to be behind the glass strips. That's why I said (in reply to someone complaining about "stupid" glass strips on the new iPhone):

Phones have radios. Radio waves do not travel through metal. Hence the glass strips on the back. Remember, Wifi, GPS, Bluetooth, etc. as well as cellular radios.​

However, the leaked images of the new iPhone may not be high enough resolution to show a thin piece of plastic between the aluminum back and the side bands, so maybe the new iPhone can also use the sides for the more powerful UMTS and GSM antennas. Did you know that there is a thin piece of plastic surrounding the glass of the iPhone 4 and 4S? This is likely to provide some minimal protection against shattering on a side impact. (Look very close, and you'll see it.)