Rumor: Photo shows 'iPhone 6' front panel with installed LCD, Touch ID brackets

Posted:
in iPhone edited July 2014
In a return of the blurry cam, a photo published to the Web on Thursday purports to show the front cover glass of Apple's next-generation "iPhone 6" with installed mounting hardware for the LCD and Touch ID home button.




Coming via Taiwanese website Apple.Club.Tw, the single photo purportedly shows a 4.7-inch display cover bound for Apple's next-generation iPhone 6. Unlike recent "leaks," Thursday's includes what appears to be metal bracket hardware and EMI shielding for the LCD and Touch ID home button.

It appears the part has no LCD installed, however, as the hand of the person holding it can be seen through the glass.

Compared to previous iPhone models like the current iPhone 5s, the supposed iPhone 6 version sports a modified home button mounting structure. Past iterations used a metal piece with a rounded bottom section to support the actuator, while the bracket seen in today's photo is slightly thinner and rectangular.

Also of note are LCD shielding cutouts seen toward the bottom left of the picture. Judging by their shape and size, it can be assumed that Apple modified the metal piece to make space for internal components like the loudspeaker, which resides in that same area on the iPhone 5s. The through-holes could be for an as-yet unannounced feature that requires unfettered access to the iPhone's front panel, though this is just speculation.

Apple is widely expected to launch a revamped iPhone with 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch screen sizes this fall. Early mockups show a slimmed down chassis with rounded edges and corners, yielding a "softer" look compared to the chamfered facade on the iPhone 5s.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 20
    sockrolidsockrolid Posts: 2,789member
    Just two questions:
    1. Plastic or carbon fiber frame?
    2. Why is there a gap in the corner of the shield?
  • Reply 2 of 20
    fallenjtfallenjt Posts: 4,053member
    this leak gives us nothing new, really. Why don't they just turn it over and take another picture for the front? Damn you, leakers.
  • Reply 3 of 20
    andysolandysol Posts: 2,506member

    Whole lot of leaks for 4.7", yet all we get are "rumors" of a 5.5".

     

    Thinking it might just be one size.

  • Reply 4 of 20
    lorin schultzlorin schultz Posts: 2,771member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Andysol View Post

     

    Whole lot of leaks for 4.7", yet all we get are "rumors" of a 5.5".

     

    Thinking it might just be one size.


     

    You just wrote exactly what I was thinking!

     

    I hope we're wrong, because my wife and I both really want a 5.5.

  • Reply 5 of 20
    apple ][apple ][ Posts: 9,233member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Andysol View Post

     

    Whole lot of leaks for 4.7", yet all we get are "rumors" of a 5.5".

     

    Thinking it might just be one size.


     

    It could also be that the 5.5" gets released slightly later, so production is not fully ramping up yet, like for the 4.7", and that means that certain criminals working at the Asian suppliers are not yet able to get their dirty paws on it, and snap blurry pictures.

  • Reply 6 of 20
    andysolandysol Posts: 2,506member
    apple ][ wrote: »
    It could also be that the 5.5" gets released slightly later, so production is not fully ramping up yet, like for the 4.7", and that means that certain criminals working at the Asian suppliers are not yet able to get their dirty paws on it, and snap blurry pictures.
    I could see that- but couldn't that annoy some customers who are like me who always gets the newest phone on release day? I'd prefer 5.5, and would be pretty bummed if a 5.5 came out a couple months after I just used my upgrade.
  • Reply 7 of 20
    apple ][apple ][ Posts: 9,233member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Andysol View Post





    I could see that- but couldn't that annoy some customers who are like me who always gets the newest phone on release day? I'd prefer 5.5, and would be pretty bummed if a 5.5 came out a couple months after I just used my upgrade.

     

    There will no doubt be some annoyed people no matter what Apple releases.<img class=" src="http://forums-files.appleinsider.com/images/smilies//lol.gif" />

     

    I don't really see a big problem with Apple releasing the 5.5" slightly later, but I do think that they should definitely announce it at least, and make their intentions known, when they are going to have the iPhone presentation for the 4.7". I'm hoping that I'm wrong, and that both get released and announced at the same time, but I'm ok with the 5.5 being later, as long as they announce it at least, so nobody will get burned. If it comes out a few months afterwards, that's ok, in my opinion.

  • Reply 8 of 20
    solipsismxsolipsismx Posts: 19,566member
    andysol wrote: »
    I could see that- but couldn't that annoy some customers who are like me who always gets the newest phone on release day? I'd prefer 5.5, and would be pretty bummed if a 5.5 came out a couple months after I just used my upgrade.

    Hopefully they would announce them the same day so you could then choose to wait knowing it will be available shortly.
  • Reply 9 of 20
    shogunshogun Posts: 362member
    These back frames usually have lots of little grooves from being ground out from aluminum. This one does not. Proof of Liquidmetal?
  • Reply 10 of 20
    vl-tonevl-tone Posts: 337member

    I'm very sceptical about this part. It doesn't seem to fit the back shell in the following picture (which looks much more credible to me) :

     

  • Reply 11 of 20
    joninsdjoninsd Posts: 74member
    Is it just me or does the bottom bezel (which ever end is the bottom) look way too small for the current home button?
  • Reply 12 of 20
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Shogun View Post



    These back frames usually have lots of little grooves from being ground out from aluminum. This one does not. Proof of Liquidmetal?

     

    Uh, no, proof of glass (or sapphire or whatever). It's the front of the phone being shown, not the back.

  • Reply 13 of 20
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by VL-Tone View Post

     

    I'm very sceptical about this part. It doesn't seem to fit the back shell in the following picture (which looks much more credible to me) :


     

    I'm not disagreeing, but neither am I seeing what leads you to believe they don't mate. The former looks like a fit to the latter to me.

  • Reply 14 of 20
    lightknightlightknight Posts: 2,312member
    Why is it illegal to resell or own stolen hardware, but not stolen information?

    Those leaks always feel damaging to Apple...
  • Reply 15 of 20
    alanhalanh Posts: 75member

    I can offer your wife 6.5" but i don't do men. ;-)

     

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Lorin Schultz View Post

     

    I hope we're wrong, because my wife and I both really want a 5.5.


  • Reply 16 of 20
    thrangthrang Posts: 1,007member
    Staggering the release of the 4.7 and 5.5, if all this is true, makes sense to gauge market demand better...if the 4.7 sells faster of slower than they've estimated, in can reveal a greater or lesser demand for a 5.5, and production can be ramped accordingly.
  • Reply 17 of 20
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by SockRolid View Post



    Just two questions:

    1. Plastic or carbon fiber frame?

    2. Why is there a gap in the corner of the shield?

     

    The shield coverage gap exists in current models, albeit appearing in a seemingly, slightly different configuration.  You need a place to get through the shield to connect the screen and digitizer.

  • Reply 18 of 20
    sockrolidsockrolid Posts: 2,789member

    Originally Posted by lightknight View Post



    Why is it illegal to resell or own stolen hardware, but not stolen information?



    Those leaks always feel damaging to Apple...

     

    I'm sure it's illegal to own stolen components.  But unless they have been delivered to Apple, they belong to either the component manufacturer or the assembly factory.  Not sure how that all works, but as long as the loss isn't above a threshold value, the component manufacturer or assembly factory have little reason to go after the thieves.  (Unless, of course, there are secrecy clauses in their contracts with Apple.)   And who knows?  Maybe the components were going to be discarded or recycled anyway because they weren't up to spec.

     

    As for damaging Apple, I seriously doubt it.  The great big middle of the consumer bell curve doesn't bother reading general tech blogs or Apple rumor blogs.  They'll just go to an Apple store or cell provider store and pick up an iPhone, current or previous-gen.  And those of us who do read Apple rumor blogs and see next-gen iPhone components (certainly a minority of iPhone buyers) will get hyped, will help to spread hype, and will generally build mindshare for the next-gen iPhone anyway.  It's free, it's viral, and I don't think it actually hurts Apple.

     

    Think of it this way.  Remember the bad old days when Apple legal would issue cease-and-desist orders to sites that leaked blurry component images?  I do.  Now do you remember the last time that any site published a leaked component image and then was forced by Apple legal to pull it down?  I don't.  Maybe around the "fat" iPod nano era if I recall correctly.  And that was a LONG time ago.

     

    If Apple thought component "leaks" were bad for their business, they'd smack down the bloggers who post them.  Just like they used to.

    But no, Apple isn't.  So the "leaks" must not be bad for their business.  (Or maybe the smackdowns aren't worth the bad PR.)

  • Reply 19 of 20
    If the new iPhone is 4.7" or 5.5", it will be the first time that I will see how it fits in my pocket before buying. Before, I just ordered online.
  • Reply 20 of 20
    lightknightlightknight Posts: 2,312member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by SockRolid View Post

     

    If Apple thought component "leaks" were bad for their business, they'd smack down the bloggers who post them.  Just like they used to.

    But no, Apple isn't.  So the "leaks" must not be bad for their business.  (Or maybe the smackdowns aren't worth the bad PR.)


    I suppose you're right about this, but it still feels a bit unclean to me. Kind of "double standards".

    Anyway, right now, I just want a new iMac 27i, and I hope they push one out soon ^^

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