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It has been such a slow new day in tech. All around. I saw that junk on Engadget and just cringed, The phone is uninspired. Just nasty looking. :eek::eek::eek::eek:
 
IT IS!!!
IT ISN'T!!
IT IS!!
IT ISN'T!!

tweedle-dum-and-dee.jpg
 
well here is my take on it, i think it is an testing prototype, however i am not convinced its of the 4th gen though, it could quite easily be of any of the previous models.

as for the removable battery i think this is apple testing bed, it would make sense to get people to test the phone under there normal usage conditions, it make sense to just swap the battery out rather than then change the phone out for one with a different battery in.

its quite possible this is Apple testing different battery setups to get the best battery life and this is one of the units.
 
I have never, in any of my phones, felt the need to have a removable battery. I don't really see the big deal about it. But hey, people want different things out of their phones.
Don't you watch movies? We all know that removing the battery from your phone helps to prevent corrupt sentient master computers seeking your destruction from tracking you. ;)
 
Don't you watch movies? We all know that removing the battery from your phone helps to prevent corrupt sentient master computers seeking your destruction from tracking you. ;)

Excellent point. The perfect example of why these photos are not of the next iPhone.

If the user could remove the battery, wouldn't that completely negate the effect of the MobileMe locator? If a thief, spouse, sibling, etc took it and removed the battery, wouldn't you be screwed? What would be the point of losing that extremely useful feature?

Fake!
 
Am I the only one who DOESN'T want a user-replaceable battery? I feel like it will affect the phone's design in a bad way.

I agree with you. I used to think a removeable battery, and storage slots etc mattered, but it doesn't. Making it removeable is more likely to loosen up the design. When you see a Nokia user drop their phone and the battery goes flying across the sidewalk you realise that making it integral is the right way to go.
 
Damn... I was so happy when we thought it was fake! I don't like the way it looks at all, and I don't care for a removable battery, and I don't think many people do. Why would want to remove the battery, unless of course you want to replace it yourself after years of use (after which you would buy a new iPhone anyway I guess). The removable battery isn't something I think Apple would do, I mean look at all their products, even on the MacBook Pros they don't let you remove the battery anymore because they say it allows for bigger batteries and more compact designs. So why would they do this with their most compact device, which by the way is the most in need for a higher capacity battery? Okay, maybe they figured out a way to make a more compact design with a better battery while letting it become user-replaceable, but it doesn't sound very convincing!

I really like the way the current iPhone has a single-piece back that goes all the way around, from screen to screen, without any seams and stuff. I think it's much tougher this way too, whay if you dropped this new iPhone, I bet the ceramic back would break, or the battery compartment would come flying out... Unless of course it's super strong, but then again, it's still more mechanical than the previous iPhone, which doesn't seem to be the direction Apple is going into.

I think it's possible that this picture really shows an iPhone, just maybe not the final version of the 4G iPhone, but one of the many prototypes Apple has. I feel that Apple wouldn't do such an ugly compromise for something they have never really cared about: a removable battery.
 
It will not have a user replaceable battery.

This is a prototype for starters, second, that hole he calls the battery release is actually a mic, see the mic on your iPad.

Next, there's no way the battery cover will be over top of the ringer/orientation lock switch and volume buttons.

The phone is legit, but these additions are just wrong.

Why would the mic be on the top of the device when your mouth sits on the far opposite end?
 
well here is my take on it, i think it is an testing prototype, however i am not convinced its of the 4th gen though, it could quite easily be of any of the previous models.

as for the removable battery i think this is apple testing bed, it would make sense to get people to test the phone under there normal usage conditions, it make sense to just swap the battery out rather than then change the phone out for one with a different battery in.

its quite possible this is Apple testing different battery setups to get the best battery life and this is one of the units.

I bet you are right.

A field test unit that allows hardware access for easy battery and MoBo swaps. Also package in a unit that is a bit fugly so as to not bring too much attention to it.

Apparently the original iPhone was secretly field tested under strict orders to keep it hidden.

Much like new cars are "uglified" for field testing, I think this is what is going on.

Once they get the hardware nailed down then they engineer it into the final smaller package that we get as consumers.

If nothing else, I hope this means better battery life in future iPhones with hopefully the A4 processor from the ipad.
 
Rdf

If this is the real deal, all those who today say it's ugly, may just change their tune once The Steve tells us how gorgeous, magical, and just that easy it is.
 
I bet it has a flash for the camera under the tinted "glass" or whatever the back is made of. Awesome way to integrate that feature without it sacrificing the design if these are real. Removable battery sounds off though, it makes no sense to me.

I hope the next iPhone looks more like the iPad bezel with 'glass' on both sides.
 
I bet you are right.

A field test unit that allows hardware access for easy battery and MoBo swaps. Also package in a unit that is a bit fugly so as to not bring too much attention to it.

Apparently the original iPhone was secretly field tested under strict orders to keep it hidden.

Much like new cars are "uglified" for field testing, I think this is what is going on.

Once they get the hardware nailed down then they engineer it into the final smaller package that we get as consumers.

If nothing else, I hope this means better battery life in future iPhones with hopefully the A4 processor from the ipad.

Even thought i agree with you
Why brand a device that you don't want attention drawn to with a lovely big apple on the back...
 
Apple's blowing smoke up your collective crevices.

Whilst a glass back is a distinct possibility (especially given patents around multi-touch being on the back of the device combined with the patent Gruber found) radio wave transparency almost certainly isn't the reason. Why? Because there's already a glass FRONT; if Apple repackaged the antenna to, for example, sit in a loop around the perimeter of the underside of the screen the problem will be solved. And from memory they have a patent on exactly that also.

So, yeah glass back maybe; but not for those reasons. Plus, I'm still betting the final product will be curved...

Hmm... curved glass? :D That's TOTALLY like them...

One other thing; I bet they have a more powerful speaker. Reason? Because front-camera = ichat = hands free = needs more powerful speaker. Any design that shows a different speaker hole positioning I will believe.
 
Plus, it's obviously going to have a micro-sim - enables reduction of costs by spreading the parts over multiple models (ie iPad)
 
HMMMMM. I can guarentee apple will not release a phone that looks like that. Not there style. And I can guarentee that apple released this device into the open to get the mill turning. They are sooooo smart.
 
Apple's blowing smoke up your collective crevices.

Whilst a glass back is a distinct possibility (especially given patents around multi-touch being on the back of the device combined with the patent Gruber found) radio wave transparency almost certainly isn't the reason. Why? Because there's already a glass FRONT; if Apple repackaged the antenna to, for example, sit in a loop around the perimeter of the underside of the screen the problem will be solved. And from memory they have a patent on exactly that also.

So, yeah glass back maybe; but not for those reasons. Plus, I'm still betting the final product will be curved...

Hmm... curved glass? :D That's TOTALLY like them...

I hope that what you said will not be true as it threatens our health! The handset with antenna at the front side will stick directly to your face when you hold it up and make a call.
 
I think this may well be a real prototype but I really hope it won't be the real thing. It's so damn ugly. Apple wouldn't release something so hideous, nor would they allow you to change the battery and if this was real, as many others have mentioned, apple would have whinged already and asked MR and Engadget to take this down.

I would love to see a dual sim iPhone though. Extremely unlikely but it would be great.
 
I hope that what you said will not be true as it threatens our health! The handset with antenna at the front side will stick directly to your face when you hold it up and make a call.

The power is so low the waves don't even penetrate your skin, they merely warm it up. I don't think that's worse for your health than having a pillow under your head...
 
who the hell designed that?
Now Jonny Ive is stuck in London due to volcanic ash, will we see more terrible designs coming through!?
 
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