Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

So are you going with a black or white iphone 5 ?

I sorta wish that the black one still had the bare metal type band. I bet they only did it in black to match the portion of the back that has a unidirectional satin finish produced by polishing the metal with a 120–180 grit belt or wheel then softening with an 80–120 grit greaseless compound or a medium non woven abrasive belt or pad.

Otherwise, it would probably clash (visually) quite a bit.
 
Black, or White.

Not sure yet, I like the black but would have preferred non-satin Aluminum.

Probably the black.
 
I really wanted to go white this round, but the more pictures I look at, I honestly think the black looks sexier. The white version of this iPhone looks not near as sleek as the white 4S. Theres something about having that aluminum break on the back that ruins it.
 
Leonard1818 said:
I sorta wish that the black one still had the bare metal type band. I bet they only did it in black to match the portion of the back that has a unidirectional satin finish produced by polishing the metal with a 120–180 grit belt or wheel then softening with an 80–120 grit greaseless compound or a medium non woven abrasive belt or pad.

Otherwise, it would probably clash (visually) quite a bit.
Click to expand...

True. It also helps with the newness factor, as it looks different from the black 4/4S, at least with those of us who already have the 4 or 4S. The white 5 doesn't really look any different from the white 4/4S except when viewed from the back.
 
ive loved white for the past few generations but I like that the metal band is black on the black one so im most likely going to get black this time.
 
Before 5 I thought i'd go for the white but this time around after seeing the high quality screens i might go with the black :D
 
Leonard1818 said:
I'm guessing with the portion of the back that has a unidirectional satin finish produced by polishing the metal with a 120–180 grit belt or wheel then softening with an 80–120 grit greaseless compound or a medium non woven abrasive belt or pad, it won't look good with a clear piece of plastic film over it.
Click to expand...

If you look at the apple website on the iphone splash page, the black back does not look like its unidirectional; it looks more "pebbled", almost.
 
I think for the first time, I'm gonna go white. Don't love the black sides.
 
Last edited:
Black, 32GB model.

I had pretty much made that decision before seeing anything, but now that I've seen the black model in the promo stuff it's way better looking that I would have imagined. That black anodized finish is lovely. So lovely that I wish I could have that finish on my MacBook Pro as well.
 
chris2k5 said:
They said the white has raw aluminum and black has anodized finish. What does that mean? Is the black one just processed more since aluminum isn't naturally black?
Click to expand...

I love how with so much bickering about this topic nobody really gave you a good answer. Here's a good summary.

Aluminum can actually be made stronger and more durable through a process called 'anodizing'. Anodizing involves placing a sheet of aluminum into a chemical acid bath, quite often acetone in laboratory experiments. The sheet of aluminum becomes the positive anode of a chemical battery and the acid bath becomes the negative. An electric current passes through the acid, causing the surface of the aluminum to oxidize (essentially rust). The oxidized aluminum forms a strong coating as it replaces the original aluminum on the surface. The result is an extremely hard substance called anodized aluminum.

Anodized aluminum can be nearly as hard as diamond under the right anodizing process. Many modern buildings use anodized aluminum in places where the metal framework is exposed to the elements. Anodized aluminum is also a popular material for making high-end cookware such as frying pans and pots. Heat is distributed evenly across anodized aluminum, and the process of anodizing provides a naturally protective finish. It is possible to use another electroplating process to make anodized aluminum look like copper or brass or other metals. Special dyes can also be used to color the anodized aluminum for decorative uses.

Because of its strength and durability, anodized aluminum is also used in a number of other applications. Many of the satellites circling the Earth are protected from space debris by layers of anodized aluminum. The automobile industry relies heavily on anodized aluminum for trims and protective housings for exposed parts. Furniture designers often use anodized aluminum as the framework for outdoor pieces as well as the base metal for lamps and other decorative items. Modern home appliances and computer systems may utilize anodized aluminum as protective housing.
Click to expand...

So anodizing makes it considerably stronger.

On the topic, over the last couple weeks I've been considering going back to white (white 3G, now black 4), but I'll probably stick with the black.
 
I've had white for my previous phones, but may go with black this time. Something about the black band makes me want it. I might have to spend a couple minutes in store while waiting in line to decide.
 
rockyroad55 said:
I've had white for my previous phones, but may go with black this time. Something about the black band makes me want it. I might have to spend a couple minutes in store while waiting in line to decide.
Click to expand...

Me too. I like my white iPad, but that black band on the new iPhone is making me lean towards black. 2 days to decide . . .
 
JonMPLS said:
Image

(2001 A Space Odyssey)
Click to expand...

At the risk of sounding like a geek, iPhone 5 (1) has rounded corners, (2) is not in the correct ratio (1:8:16 vs. monolith's 1:4:9), (3) dual-tone black and slate finish is not seemless.

I will go with white & silver to match MacBook Air/MacBook Pro because (1) white glass finish shows less glare, smudges, and scratch, (2) typically have slightly higher resale value, and (3) silver matches MacBook Air/Pro's finish.

----------
Mad Mac Maniac said:
So anodizing makes it considerably stronger.
Click to expand...
Both white and black have anodized aluminum. The main differences are glass (ceramic glass on white and pigmented glass on black).
 
nutmac said:
At the risk of sounding like a geek, iPhone 5 (1) has rounded corners, (2) is not in the correct ratio (1:8:16 vs. monolith's 1:4:9), (3) dual-tone black and slate finish is not seemless.

I will go with white & silver to match MacBook Air/MacBook Pro because (1) white glass finish shows less glare, smudges, and scratch, (2) typically have slightly higher resale value, and (3) silver matches MacBook Air/Pro's finish.
Click to expand...

Ha, you are right--but they are getting closer. And they are both full of stars ;)
 
chris2k5 said:
They said the white has raw aluminum and black has anodized finish. What does that mean? Is the black one just processed more since aluminum isn't naturally black?
Click to expand...

Anodizing is a process when metal goes into a electrolytic bath charged with electricity and it creates a dark or colored finish, an oxide layer like guns, military equipment and carabeaners. Very very durable finish. Raw aluminum is just a MacBook.
 
I love the way the black looks and do not like the white at all, but still might go with the white because I'm concerned that the black will look terrible once it's scratched. Yes I know, the anodized finished is supposed to be durable, but a typical hard anodizing treatment only extends to a depth of 2-4 mils, i.e. around .1 mm, which means that if you do scratch the surface to a depth of more than .1 mm, the raw silver color of the aluminum will be visible. I have tons of hard anodized colored aluminum objects, and every single one of them looks prematurely old and worn because of this.
 
Really hard job deciding.
Thing is, it's not just black. It's black and slate! Slate! It's a whole new colour for an iPhone, compared to just white and silver. That may've just swung me :p

Plus the box looks nice for the black one, though haven't seen the white box.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back