Physical Mockup of 'iPhone 5' with Tapered Design

[42streetsdown]

Am I the only one who thinks every single mockup of the iPhone 5 has been ugly and cheap looking? The iPhone 4 has such a premium feel to it, and the iPad 2/ iPod touch 4th generation design just doesnt have that same look and feel.

For you sir, I give you this http://www.yankodesign.com/2011/06/29/iphone-5-really/

 

[mrelwood]

Upgrading the internals is more important than the exterior.

Usually yes, but a glass phone wouldn't / doesn't survive with a lot of people. My iPhone 3G has been tossed around quite a bit when missing my pockets, down the stairs, down from the table, etc. If the glass design is not changed, I think I'll buy a 3GS second hand instead.

The 3G was a bit slow already when new, but I believe the iPhone 4 horsepower will go on for way longer than 2 years total.

And a 4" screen would be a very nice improvement.

The only mockup that made my heart skip a beat is the one posted right above.

 

[iansilv]

So this news may mess with your heads but I don't care. AT&T received updates in their Inventory System for iPhone Cases. Folks, no ordinary case but the same beautiful iPhone Cases that fueled the rumors for redesigned iPhone.

Wait a sec- why would any case company bother to name these things as iPhone 5 cases- if the iPhone is going to be the same size and form factor as the iPhone 4?

 

[42streetsdown]

Unless its cast from LiquidMetal?

How would an amorphous metal attenuate radio waves less than a crystalline one?

 

[pubwvj]

I like the smooth tapered design.
I greatly dislike the boxy squarish design Apple's been using.
I hope they once again move to the rounded body.
I also don't like the glass back. Stick with aluminum.

 

[iansilv]

How would an amorphous metal attenuate radio waves less than a crystalline one?

The t-1000 dude. The t-1000.

 

[Brett Abelson]

Thickness

Why no picture comparing the thickness of the three?

 

[Spectrum Abuser]

are people forgetting with an alu back like that it will need a plastic antenna strip ala iphone 1 and ipad 3g?

otherwise nice try

It's called the APPLE on the back would be made out of black plastic just like the current generation of all Macs. That allows for radio signals to get into and leave the device just fine.

 

[Frenchjay]

Wow kudos to these guys for making this. It looks like some sexy monolithic piece of tech. I would definitely like to see this design if it comes with a 4" screen.

 

[D.T.]

For you sir, I give you this

That's by far my favorite. It keeps the familiar external antenna "band" of the iPhone 4, but makes it thinner, then caps off the rear with the iPad 2 type design. It's both functional and very aesthetically appealing.

It's also symmetric top-to-bottom so the "feel" wouldn't change from portrait to landscape orientation.

 

[calvol]

Looks like IP4 in a Touch case.

 

[sn]

someone should leave this thing in a bar, sit back, and enjoy the show.

 

[adder7712]

Aren't all the iPhones "rectangular"?

And all phones for that matter.

Here's hoping there would be two iPhones.

 

[chrmjenkins]

How would an amorphous metal attenuate radio waves less than a crystalline one?

It would, slightly less. I'm not sure what it's conductivity is compared to crystalline metals though. Still, it wouldn't be a good idea to make the back entirely out of it, seeing as how people have used this material specifically for fashioning wireless antennas.

 

[ann713]

That rumored home button is awful.

 

[cowcaster88]

I highly doubt this.

 

[Number 41]

Jonathan Ive: "It needs more GLASS! MORE GLASS I SAY!"

 

[Darthdingo]

If the iPhone5 is not like this mockup, but more of an iPhone4.5 design, I will wait to see what the Nexus-Prime is like first. I am loving this i5 mockup, sure hope it's the real deal, will be a big letdown if not even close to this.

 

[mrelwood]

There would be huge tradeoffs in migrating to a bigger screen: either losing the Retina branding

The pixels would still be well indistinguishable for the human eye.

 

[vincenz]

For people who don't like how it looks in pictures on first glance, take a look at the video that was included in the engadget post on the story.

http://www.engadget.com/2011/09/29/iphone-5-cases-and-realistic-unibody-dummy-show-off-incredible-s/

 

[sam10685]

*sigh* Gotta love super-geeks...

 

[chrmjenkins]

For people who don't like how it looks in pictures on first glance, take a look at the video that was included in the engadget post on the story.

http://www.engadget.com/2011/09/29/iphone-5-cases-and-realistic-unibody-dummy-show-off-incredible-s/

It's so weird seeing an asian guy speaking German fluently. My brain can't process it.

 

[Daremo]

I'm guessing if this was even close to how the design is, Apple legal would have had this pulled with a C&D letter.

 

[D.T.]

The pixels would still be well indistinguishable for the human eye.

Yeah, I think it works out to ~288PPI for a 4" display @ 960x640

Which is still outstanding, but I understand what he was saying about the "retina branding" - especially after making a _huge_ production out of the 326PPI, all the bickering between "optical experts", etc.

However, I don't see having to deal with a 3rd set of phone resources, especially if it wasn't as simply as simply going 2x/2x.

I guess you could use the 960x640 icons on a higher resolution display (to preserve 326PPI @ 4") and they would simply scale down, but all the layouts would need changing[?]

 

[Invincibilizer]

iPhone 4 design is still the better one