The back of the iPhone 4G to be made of ceramics?

[cvaldes]

Since I was a kid, I've had an obsession with the work of Charles M. Schulz and have come to recognize his work versus imitations. I can pick up on lots of tiny visual cues almost unconsciously that tell me whether the drawing I'm seeing came from Schulz himself or from someone else. I can sense that but I couldn't put it into words. You can see it when the Peanuts characters show up in marketing materials or commercials or the animated cartoons. Sometimes it's Schulz' work, sometimes not.

If this is indeed the case, then you are the rare cat that Thomas Hoving calls a 'fakebuster.'

I'm not doubting your claim at this time.

Frankly, it would be nice to see someone at MacRumors with fakebusting abilitiies, but I'm not holding my breath.

Oh, yes. Any iPhone design with a user removable battery is garbage.

 

[ranReloaded]

OMG Gruber is on board... That means we're doomed!

 

[Casiotone]

Let me rephrase; it isnt something i would expect to see on a NEW apple product. Besides, that button doesnt look out of place on something as big as a notebook. On an iPhone, it would be an iSore. At least it would be in my opinion. Apple seems to (currently) like to downplay the appearance of buttons...but hey, what do i know? Im not sj

Apple/Ives have been known to sometimes take cues from designs from the past and integrate them in new products. For example the original iMacs had obvious cues from some overly curved/colored TV sets from the 60s/70s. The PowerMac G5/Mac Pro design is inspired by some high end audio amps from the 70s/80s.

Look at the Palm Pre, the new MS phones (Kin) and many other competing handsets. Many seem to go for an overly curvaceous plastic design. I think that Apple wants to go the other way.

As for the buttons, I don't think they'll be that obvious as they're on the sides and the same color/material as the side frame.

 

[severe]

It's been officially named the iPhone Fancy Glass.




true story.

 

[jkester]

No one is saying the back comes off. The idea is that an L-shaped portion of the edge piece comes off (or hinges out).

Of course, I still don't believe it.

I'm relatively sure a lot of people here, myself included, thought the article was suggesting that the back comes off.

I sincerely doubt they'd have an L-shaped piece come off too. Everything about what Apple's been doing over the past few years has been about creating one-piece, solid devices: unibody cases, non-removable macbook pro batteries, etc.

It's even more unlikely that the battery somehow hinges out. Apple hates hinges so much they made the iPad. Haha.

 

[RatherBeReading]

As for the buttons, I don't think they'll be that obvious as they're on the sides and the same color/material as the side frame.

Thats true, it may not be noticeable. Its just my taste in tech shining through i guess. I like as discrete buttons as possible, which is why i love the home button on the iphone and the track pads on the mbp's

 

[applebook]

A watch face which other crystals could do just as well or better. Watch makers only use sapphire to raise the value umpteen times.

Name another material that is harder/as hard as synthetic sapphire and is as clear. Synthetic sapphire is not expensive. It can be pricey to produce if it is shaped in unconventional forms.

The fact that you call the crystal "watch face" is proof that you don't know enough about watches to make such a comment.

 

[Tofaha]

if you have access to a prototype from apple, you are higher up in the chain... so it surprises me to see these people risking careers by snapping pics.

 

[cvaldes]

It's been officially named the iPhone Fancy Glass.




true story.

Unconvincing.

Would you like to try again?

 

[celo48]

This thing is getting serious but one thing does not change; this phone is still FUGLY!

 

[fatpeople]

Deductive Logic

There is absolutely no possible way this is 4. Apple would not allow such a weak piece of industrial design sport their elite marquee. Jesus ****ing christ, it is understood to be stored predominantly in pocket, that's why its smooth, weathered shape has been become more so through the two generations. That thing looks like it was born by Zenith. Jesus ****ing christ.

How could Macrumors.com, my favoritest website ever, publish 3 sequential main page articles about this obviously fictitious farce on my lazy Sunday? Oh wait… Hold on… Pretty clear here; because they are a tool of Apple inc, ya know, by giving Mr. Kim "candy." Propagating this silliness is in big fruits best interest, as the real one might better melt panties in comparison with this product design student at community college, hungover deadline throw-together. The eyelet ringing the headphone jack is an obvious Apple no-do. It's not a cassette WalkMan, right? Jesu…

Basic homo-sapien logic deduces as far as much that the new item will have a button on the side that shortcuts immediately to camera, or other assignable app of user choosing. Holding button will call up "photos." Everybody knows that - even elderly, possibly out of touch, technology columnists for a prominent southern Manhattan publication.

Have a good day.

 

[iGuardian]

Personally, I hope these are fake, but I'm inclined to think they're real. Only because Jon Gruber thinks so, and also that Engadget seems extremely confident that it's real.

For those of us who don't like the design, and want to keep hope that this is a fake alive, here's some points...

- Apple tends not to make radical changes to its design (yes, there are some exceptions)
- It seems odd that the buttons on the side would be round, while the buttons on the iPod touch, iPhone 3G, 3Gs, and now iPad have the "rocker" volume controls
- Why is the sim card on the side?
- Why is the back flat, not curved? Haven't they decided that they want their devices to be curved? (iMac, iPad, iPod touch, older iPhones, etc)

And (in my opinion) the biggest one...
- Why would Apple continue their design philosophy with the iPad (round back, rocker buttons, etc) and not continue it with the iPhone? It seems odd to me.


Anyways, I'll likely be proven wrong in June.

 

[macnerd93]

I dont know why but this design seems to remind me of a Compaq V2000 laptop around the edges

:Source http://www.notebookreview.com/assets/2550.jpg

I am really not a big fan of this design, pretty certain no one from Apple could have designed it & if Steve Jobs let something that hideous out of Apple, my god

 

[iEdd]

There is absolutely no possible way this is 4. Apple would not allow such a weak piece of industrial design sport their elite marquee. Jesus ****ing christ, it is understood to be stored predominantly in pocket, that's why its smooth, weathered shape has been become more so through the two generations. That thing looks like it was born by Zenith. Jesus ****ing christ.

How could Macrumors.com, my favoritest website ever, publish 3 sequential main page articles about this obviously fictitious farce on my lazy Sunday? Oh wait… Hold on… Pretty clear here; because they are a tool of Apple inc, ya know, by giving Mr. Kim "candy." Propagating this silliness is in big fruits best interest, as the real one might better melt panties in comparison with this product design student at community college, hungover deadline throw-together. The eyelet ringing the headphone jack is an obvious Apple no-do. It's not a cassette WalkMan, right? Jesu…

Basic homo-sapien logic deduces as far as much that the new item will have a button on the side that shortcuts immediately to camera, or other assignable app of user choosing. Holding button will call up "photos." Everybody knows that - even elderly, possibly out of touch, technology columnists for a prominent southern Manhattan publication.

Have a good day.

Well, you've done it now.

As soon as there's a post like this, the "obvious fake" becomes real. Your post will be plastered all over the "I told you so thread".

 

[iansilv]

Think about this- WWDC is going to be really packed with info- iPhone 4.0, new iPhone, etc. New Mac Pro? Games stuff- etc.

On Tuesday, Apple does their earnings report.

Sprint EVO coming out, Windows 7 Phone, etc. between now and WWDC...

Anyone think Jobs and Co. might release the specs for the new iphone over the earnings call if asked, in a way to start the hype now, and downplay any other competition?

 

[mojoxp]

You guys keep saying how ugly it is, but you never really note why. Apart from the seams, why does it burn your eyes into crispy, shriveled, black balls?

For me, its just the seams and buttons. Otherwise I like the design. Looking at the headphone jack vs my 3GS, you can see that it would be razor thin. The bulbus nature of the 3GS lends itself to being dropped; I've dropped my 3G and 3GS way more than I ever did my 2G.

I'm betting Gruber is right with the idea that its a temporary testing case; I'd imagine that the real case is similar but with the grill design from the iPad, the black button design (and silent switch) from the iPad, no seams, and a micro-sim card slot on the top.

 

[coryndiego]

So if this is a missing prototype, why didn't Apple use the MobileMe "Find my iPhone" to get it back? Or did they remote wipe and that explains the OS disappearing?

Bingo! exactly what I was thinking.

If it is real, I think that it's a good looking phone and love the idea of mixing the textures of metal and glass with potentially the backside touch capability.
The square form with 90 degree angles on sides is attractive to me too. The one thing I don't like about my 3G is the rounded form. It doesn't sit very well on its back and the rounded edges are hard to grasp. I have large hands and maybe thats my problem but I have to have a grippy case in order to keep a hold of it. Also, I returned it two times due to cracking of the plastic around the buttons/jacks and finally kept the third even though it still cracked within 30 days. I think that they would have learned the cracking plastic and chose a recipe for a durable material.

I welcome whatever comes in the 4G-HD Phone. Apple will make us happy...as usual.

 

[peterdevries]

still call it a fake..man that thing is ugly

So ugly=fake?

 

[cvaldes]

Anyone think Jobs and Co. might release the specs for the new iphone over the earnings call if asked, in a way to start the hype now, and downplay any other competition?

No, not the time for that.

Frankly, I think you're a bit daft in even suggesting it.

 

[Casiotone]

Funny how this thread seems like a repeat of other threads where actual leaked photos were posted.

The following quotes are taken from a thread about the leaked iPhone 3G photos (which were real).

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/475554/

"i don't believe that they'll go with plastic, as that would be a step backwards."

"I still think this is a fake leaked by apple in their ingenious propaganda scheme in which they attempt to fool all the rumor sites with fake prototypes. Like said before, the move from metal to plastic makes no sense. "

"If this was the real new iPhone, wouldn't Apple have sent the take down letters already?"

"That thing in the photo blows! I mean it really does look like a piece of crap. It looks like a possible Zune phone."

"Please, no no no no! That thing in the picture is so ugly. I love the brushed metal back on the current iPhone. Please, Apple, don't change it!"

 

[iPoodOverZune]

I love leaks like this... assuming it's all accurate, which it seems more than likely to be.

I don't remember such detailed leaks since the days of ThinkSecret.

Oh, the good old days of ThinkSecret!

 

[peterdevries]

A watch face which other crystals could do just as well or better. Watch makers only use sapphire to raise the value umpteen times.

You obviously don't know anything about watches...

 

[dubhe]

What is the big deal about the user replaceable battery. I have had all sorts of mobile phones since my first big ugly Nokia 2110 in 1996, and never have I had to replace the battery! If I am away overnight, I take a charger. If the battery dies from extended use, replace it with a new one (which you can do now with the iPhone).

The only reason apple would do this is if they were loosing money on their current battery replacement program, which I can't see.

 

[MorphingDragon]

The fact that you call the crystal "watch face" is proof that you don't know enough about watches to make such a comment.

Different countries use different naming conventions. Just like how Americans call biscuits, cookies. Or how Quadratics are normally referred to as Trinomials. (Form looking at my friends old high-school books).

In New Zealand, a watch face can mean just the circle backing with the numbers (or the LCD screen if its digital) It can mean the circle backing with the hands. It can mean the protective glass/screen in front. Or it can mean the entire front of the the watch.

Some countries in Europe call the protective screen in front a watch crystal. But in some countries a watch crystal refers to the quartz used as the oscillator.

I'd be careful about calling sapphire one of the clearest substance as there are sapphires known as star sapphires that aren't very clear. The Mohs scale isn't a very good measure of how brittle something is, which is a massive thing in consumer electronics. How brittle an object is depends on its ability to compress and how strong its chemical bonds are. IE, Ceramic is brittle, but plastic isn't. But ceramic is tougher than most plastics.

But this is massively off topic as I was original talking in the context of consumer electronics.

 

[austinguy23]

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 completely. Maybe they're freaking out over the competition and pulling a Coca-Cola. If they release this hideous device, Google, HTC, and others will rejoice in delight just as Pepsi did when Coca-Cola changed their formula.