Rumor: Photo shows "iPhone 6" rear shell with cut-out Apple logo

Posted:
in iPhone edited June 2014
A week after photos of a rumored "iPhone 6" backlight hit the Web, a fresh report on Thursday claims to have snapped the first pictures of the next-generation handset's rear cover, which appears to sport a cut-out Apple logo.


Click for larger. | Source: Macfixit


The latest alleged iPhone 6 hardware leak comes from Australian blog Macfixit, which posted a single photo procured from "a source" in China.

While the part matches up with previous mock-up designs, it does feature something new in what looks to be a cutout in the shape of Apple's logo. With a protective green film obscuring most of the component, however, it's hard to tell whether the logo is actually cut out or merely polished. It's worth noting that the second-generation iPad mini, which some say inspired the iPhone 6 design, was found to have a similar feature when parts for the tablet first leaked in August 2013.

Initial speculation predicted Apple would include an illumination module instead of the usual polished logo, but the company ultimately embedded a shiny piece of metal that is thought to serve as a radio-transparent window. The iPad Air also incorporates the design feature.

Thursday's supposed part leak comes after photos of an LED backlight hit the Web earlier this month. Up to this point, most of the reported "parts leaks" have been mock-ups and dummy models said to be in use by third-party accessory makers looking to get a head start on case production.

Apple is expected to announce a 4.7-inch iPhone -- and possibly a 5.5-inch version -- later this year as part of the company's annual refresh cycle. According to reports, manufacturers are having trouble producing the larger model's battery, which may delay the phablet's launch by more than a month.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 66
    thewhitefalconthewhitefalcon Posts: 4,453member
    That's one of my least favorite 'features' of the Air. That stupid polished Apple logo is a fingerprint and scratch magnet.
  • Reply 2 of 66
    gijoeinlagijoeinla Posts: 215member
    A lighted logo ????????????!
  • Reply 3 of 66
    commentsfcommentsf Posts: 47member
    So... Plastic?
  • Reply 4 of 66
    mpantonempantone Posts: 2,033member

    No, the protective green film covers a metal part, so the component does not get scratched during the manufacturing process. This is a very common practice in the consumer electronics manufacturing industry.

     

    One can see the exposed silver-colored metal where the camera module and purported flash unit would be placed (upper left hand corner).

     

    The green film would be removed at final inspection, right before packaging.

     

    Apple hardware often receives a final protective clear film that mostly envelopes the entire completed device, meant to be removed by the customer.

  • Reply 5 of 66
    justp1ayinjustp1ayin Posts: 213member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by CommentSF View Post



    So... Plastic?

     

     

    Its metal. The green is a protective layer. 

     

    Probably still fake though cause those antenna separations are horrible.

  • Reply 6 of 66
    ttong_atxttong_atx Posts: 15member
    It looks to me like there may still be a plastic/metal seperation on the top and bottom.
  • Reply 7 of 66
    I really like the true flash of the 5s it looks really different in this picture, i don't see why they wouldn't keep it
  • Reply 8 of 66
    solipsismxsolipsismx Posts: 19,566member
    I'm going to weigh in and state I believe this to be real.¡

    gijoeinla wrote: »
    A lighted logo ????????????!

    Not likely to happen because it's a pointless use of power.
  • Reply 9 of 66
    mejsricmejsric Posts: 152member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by gijoeinla View Post



    A lighted logo ????????????!

    Still too thick to make a lighted Apple logo.

  • Reply 10 of 66
    suddenly newtonsuddenly newton Posts: 13,819member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by tkrunner1738 View Post



    I really like the true flash of the 5s it looks really different in this picture, i don't see why they wouldn't keep it

     

    Well, I really like the 4" screen of the 5s, i don't see why they wouldn't keep it

  • Reply 11 of 66
    suddenly newtonsuddenly newton Posts: 13,819member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by potatoman View Post



    On another note, I cannot believe how ugly the antenna band is. Why is it so thick? And why is there the extra bit around the edge, and not just a line across? Just that little change would make me love the design, but this is really ugly IMO. Such a shame. Hopefully it's better in person.

     

    I don't think the photo shows an antenna band. Where is it?

  • Reply 12 of 66
    droidftwdroidftw Posts: 1,009member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by SolipsismX View Post



    Not likely to happen because it's a pointless use of power.

     

    It wouldn't be pointless if it lit up when the phone was ringing or for when you recieve texts/notifications/emails.  If it stayed lit during use then it'd exist just to bring attention to yourself and that would be a pointless use of power.

  • Reply 13 of 66
    anantksundaramanantksundaram Posts: 20,403member
    potatoman wrote: »

    On another note, I cannot believe how ugly the antenna band is. Why is it so thick? And why is there the extra bit around the edge, and not just a line across? Just that little change would make me love the design, but this is really ugly IMO. Such a shame. Hopefully it's better in person.

    No, it won't be. Apple will make sure that its design is purposely butt-ugly, so as to piss off people like you. :rolleyes:
  • Reply 14 of 66
    solipsismxsolipsismx Posts: 19,566member
    droidftw wrote: »
    It wouldn't be pointless if it lit up when the phone was ringing or for when you recieve texts/notifications/emails.  If it stayed lit during use then it'd exist just to bring attention to yourself and that would be a pointless use of power.

    I agree with your qualified usage but you know you can already do that with the LED light on the back and any case designed for that iPhone will have that area exposed.
  • Reply 15 of 66
    mpantonempantone Posts: 2,033member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by potatoman View Post



    Really? The line going across, right under the camera, and another at the bottom. And if you look closely, instead of just a straight thin line, the line is thicker, and you can see it bordering around the bottom and top of the phone. Its in all the mock ups too, but never understood why it's there.

     

    Potatoman is right.

     

    Assuming this alleged iPhone 6 design is accurate (that's a big "if"), there will be no metal bezel edge as on the iPhone 4 and iPhone 5 series due to the curved edges, more like the unibody shell of the original iPhone or the current iPads. Thus, Apple needs a way to create several discrete antennae. 


     

    The top and bottom portions would be cut off from the center of the shell, and gaskets of some sort (plastic, likely) would be inserted as electrical insulators if we assume that this photo is an intermediate state of a particular part.

  • Reply 16 of 66
    atokoschatokosch Posts: 46member

    Where is the hole for the True Tone Flash? They cant possibly fit two different colored LED’s in that hole for the True Tone Flash.

    For the cut out of the Apple Logo however, i think that if the housing for the iPhone 6 is not made of liquid metal (which i would want), then Apple will have to cut a window for NFC capabilities, they are rumored (today actually) to have been in talks for iPhone payment services. This cut out would allow enough of a window for NFC and they could cover the hole back up with the antenna for the NFC just like they did with the OG iPad (they used the Apple logo as the WiFi antenna that was mirror finished). Plus Apple would not use it as a notification LED, that is pointless and a waste of power. 

    I still do not believe that this is the back housing for the next iPhone, i think it was made by a 3rd party, if you think about it, no True Tone Flash, unless Apple has something that is better than the True Tone Flash, but i don’t think that they would get rid of it after only 1 year.

  • Reply 17 of 66
    atokoschatokosch Posts: 46member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by potatoman View Post





    Really? The line going across, right under the camera, and another at the bottom. And if you look closely, instead of just a straight thin line, the line is thicker, and you can see it bordering around the bottom and top of the phone. Its in all the mock ups too, but never understood why it's there.

    They seem a little thicker and they actually go all the way around the top section and bottom section, they don't do that on previous iPhones. 

  • Reply 18 of 66
    vl-tonevl-tone Posts: 337member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by potatoman View Post



    On another note, I cannot believe how ugly the antenna band is. Why is it so thick? And why is there the extra bit around the edge, and not just a line across? Just that little change would make me love the design, but this is really ugly IMO. Such a shame. Hopefully it's better in person.

     

    I suspect that there's a technical/functional reason behind the increased thickness of the antenna separations. Maybe it will also act as a shock absorber and reduce the possibility of breaking the screen if the iPhone 6 is dropped on one of its corners?

     

    What if the separation is made from a new RF transparent LiquidMetal alloy? :) (OK maybe not)

  • Reply 19 of 66
    mpantonempantone Posts: 2,033member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by atokosch View Post

     

    Where is the hole for the True Tone Flash? They cant possibly fit two different colored LED’s in that hole for the True Tone Flash.


    The round hole for the flash is conceivable if Apple switched to a three-LED configuration for the flash, maybe two "bright white" LEDs and one "warm white" LED. The total flash power would increase, even if the individual LED emitters were slightly smaller.

     

    Just food for thought, this whole thread is purely speculative anyhow.

  • Reply 20 of 66
    atokoschatokosch Posts: 46member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by VL-Tone View Post

     

     

    I suspect that there's a technical/functional reason behind the increased thickness of the antenna separations. Maybe it will also act as a shock absorber and reduce the possibility of breaking the screen if the iPhone 6 is dropped on one of its corners?

     

    What if the separation is made from a new RF transparent LiquidMetal alloy? :) (OK maybe not)


    If it was made of LiquidMetal alloy then they wouldn't need something for shock absorption because it is much stronger than the metal that they use on the iPhone 5 and 5S, it will not dent easily. And plus, why would Apple want to help you not break your screen, its the truth, it if makes the phone look ugly which it does then they wouldn't add it, they would want you to have them fix it or replace it. 

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