Rumor: Photos of supposed 'iPhone 6' backlight hit Web
In what could be a sign that production of Apple's upcoming "iPhone 6" is well underway, photos of a supposedly leaked LED backlight for the handset's 4.7-inch LCD display hit the Web on Friday.
Source: Sina-Weibo
As with previous hardware "leaks," the set of three photos come from Chinese microblogging site Sina Weibo, which was subsequently picked up by French blog nowehereelse.fr.
It should be noted that the pictures offer no sense of scale and reports of physical dimensions originate from the heretofore unknown Sina poster. AppleInsider cannot vouch for the veracity of the images and presents the following for purposes of discussion only.
That being said, the author of the post claims the backlight has been designed to fit behind a 4.7-inch display and is very similar to past designs from Apple products like the iPhone 5s and 5c. For example, the flex cable is located at the bottom of the panel, suggesting a continuity of logic board design and internal layout.
There are differences between the alleged backlight and current replacement parts, however. The aforementioned flex connector has been slightly repositioned and the new unit appears to feature three contact pads instead of two on the iPhone 5s version. Also shown is what appears to be a component breakdown of the backlight assembly as well as a batch of finished units, seen below.
Friday's photos are the second alleged iPhone 6 production part "leak" to come from Sina Weibo, the first being a front cover panel shown off in April. In that case, the component was pictured next to an iPhone 5s for scale, though it is unclear if the part is legitimate or a mockup.
Over the past weeks a number of outlets have posted images of iPhone 6 dummy models, some of which appear to be based on questionable three-dimensional renders leaked in March. Most recently, photos of a metal casting purportedly used to mold third-party cases showed up in Romania.
Source: Sina-Weibo
As with previous hardware "leaks," the set of three photos come from Chinese microblogging site Sina Weibo, which was subsequently picked up by French blog nowehereelse.fr.
It should be noted that the pictures offer no sense of scale and reports of physical dimensions originate from the heretofore unknown Sina poster. AppleInsider cannot vouch for the veracity of the images and presents the following for purposes of discussion only.
That being said, the author of the post claims the backlight has been designed to fit behind a 4.7-inch display and is very similar to past designs from Apple products like the iPhone 5s and 5c. For example, the flex cable is located at the bottom of the panel, suggesting a continuity of logic board design and internal layout.
There are differences between the alleged backlight and current replacement parts, however. The aforementioned flex connector has been slightly repositioned and the new unit appears to feature three contact pads instead of two on the iPhone 5s version. Also shown is what appears to be a component breakdown of the backlight assembly as well as a batch of finished units, seen below.
Friday's photos are the second alleged iPhone 6 production part "leak" to come from Sina Weibo, the first being a front cover panel shown off in April. In that case, the component was pictured next to an iPhone 5s for scale, though it is unclear if the part is legitimate or a mockup.
Over the past weeks a number of outlets have posted images of iPhone 6 dummy models, some of which appear to be based on questionable three-dimensional renders leaked in March. Most recently, photos of a metal casting purportedly used to mold third-party cases showed up in Romania.
Comments
Looking good. I'm ready. Contract about to expire.
It can't possibly be the larger screen iPhone that's supposedly coming. It looks like that person would have a hard time using it with one hand... /s
Oh, so you can tell us what they’re announcing at WWDC, then?
Okay. List it.
SINA WEIBO = SEEN A DICK.. just my 2 cents..
That would not demonstrate anything. Tell me one significant thing that was announced at Apple's last event that was not speculated on AppleInsider..
Fingerprint reader, nope
Cheaper plastic iPhone, nope.
iPad mini with retina display, nope
Quote:
I am longing for the good old days. Back when you had to wait until Apple made their announcments to find out what was coming. It seems like for about the last few announcments, nothing beyond what the rumor and speculation mill turned out was announced. No surprises. Boring!
I think that as well. The secrecy now is poorly maintained. I remember some time ago when Apple genuinely surprised the event attendees with out of the blue announcements. Now they say the phrase "some of you may have already seen that on the internet".
Even so, I think Apple announcements are anything but boring. Leaks are often very crude and do no justice to the final Apple product. Plus, the specifications are only the work of whimsical teenagers. Even though it's pretty evident that Apple will announce the next OS X and iOS version in the upcoming WWDC, that doesn't by any merit make the event 'boring'. They still manage to slip many interesting surprises.
I don't see the point of this 'leak' because it just confirms what we all already know regarding the size of the next iPhone screen. It does not say anthing else.
I'm also interested to see if Apple will use quantum dot displays in the iPhone 6 and iPad upgrades. If Amazon (or is it Google?) can incorporate such technology in their tablets, I don't see why Apple shouldn't.
Even so, I think Apple announcements are anything but boring. Leaks are often very crude and do no justice to the final Apple product. Plus, the specifications are only the work of whimsical teenagers. Even though it's pretty evident that Apple will announce the next OS X and iOS version in the upcoming WWDC, that doesn't by any merit make the event 'boring'. They still manage to slip many interesting surprises.
The problem is that consumers and the press perceive it as boring and "no big deal" unless there are major technology leaps. So if Apple releases another iPhone with a slightly bigger screen and few other improvements, it will most definitely be perceived as boring. New versions of OS X or iOS with some incremental changes? Boring (or criticized, if they continue to make changes which are perceived by many as steps backwards, like the flat icons and almost-missing scroll bars).
The market is expecting Apple is produce a totally new product line, so anything other than a robot, iWatch or TV set is going to be considered to be boring regardless of the reality.
There are always going to be leaks because that's what the internet is about. And as many people get their jollies by purposely planting mis-information as those who post what they believe is accurate information. Teenagers? Maybe, but on the web, a very large percentage of people of all ages act like immature junior high school boys.
I am longing for the good old days. Back when you had to wait until Apple made their announcments to find out what was coming. It seems like for about the last few announcments, nothing beyond what the rumor and speculation mill turned out was announced. No surprises. Boring!
Stop "longing", its such useless and idiotic exercise. Maybe, adjust your expectations? Apple products are now produced in the millions before launch, extensively tested, with parts sources from dozens of suppliers involving hundreds of thousands of workers. There's no chance in hell anymore than any new Apple product can launch without a single parts leak. It just cant happen, even with all the secirty in the world. All you need is 1 individual and 1 second of time to snap a photo. And you're wrong. Noone had a clue of what the Mac Pro looked like, did they? All the other rumors have been very vague leaks, with little specific as to the implementation. "Apple's next iPhone might have a fingerprint sensor". You consider that a leak? As for parts, those arent a big deal. With the market for Apple news/rumors these days, and the size of their supply chain, no amount of "security" can stop all leaks. The most important component of Apple's products- ie. the software, and the synergy between hardware and software are still kept tightly under wraps until the keynote. When was the last AUTHENTIC screenshots of new Apple software leaked? So I'd say Apple is still ahead of other companies on the security front. Its just that nobody is gonna bother painstakingly 3D printing dozens of possible product mockups based on possibly leaked case designs for anything other than an Apple product. Thats why it seems that theres so many "leaks"- casue noone can stop talking about rumored products, and noone gives a shit about how the next Samsung phone is gonna look like.
WOW, didn't see this coming. Remember, I may have pushed your button but I did not install it. Thanks for the advice, I will stop spending the 5 or 10 seconds I spend a couple of times a year on a useless and idiotic exercise. I will use that time in a more useful way like misspelling words like, secirty, noone, casue.
It would demonstrate your original post is not a complete and utter lie.
What exactly does it confirm? Nothing.
Yiy honestly believe ta
Amazing- the classic hallmark of a despicable troll. Instead of trying to respond to the actual content of my post, you desperately go in search of typos so you can comment on that, and find 3 in a 270 word post- all of which are obvious typos, do you honestly think I don't know how to spell security, no one, and cause? No, of course you realize they're meaningless typos, but you're too cowardly and dishonest to actually answer the questions I posed to you.
The question was, do you think it's reasonable or even possible for Apple to completely prevent component leaks stemming from photos, when they have components being made at dozens of suppliers, involving hundreds of thousands of 3rd party employees that are involved in the assembly and manufacture- at facilities where they have no direct control or ownership of the space or the people- and where products are being produced in the millions? Is it fair to define their security as "lax" if they can't meet this impossible ideal scenario? What specific proposals would you give, beyond what Apple is doing now, to ensure not a single photo gets send out from any of these facilities?
The days you are allegedly "longing" for having nothing to do with Steve Jobs, and everything to do witt he fact that external factors were utterly different. The original iPhone was not released until 6 months after it was shown. Do you not understand how it would be easy to keep something under wraps in that situation? Pretty much every product sine then has had component leaks, so your goal of trying to pin this on management or decreased security standards is childish and false. Any reasonable person would assume that Apple has significantly MORE security procedures and guidelines since then, not less. It just comes to a point where you have to be a reasonable, rational human being, and realize when the most sought at devices are being produced and tested in facilities employing many thousands of foreign workers for MONTHS then produced in the millions, there WILL be some leaks. And these days, blog start obsessively 3D printing sample phones from a single single leak. Blame sites like macrumors for this, where they commission and pay people to create models and spam those to the internet every day. This kind of capability didn't exist a few years ago. Another factor to consider.
Maybe this time read what I'm saying and take some time to consider it, instead of responding like a troll which you always do.
Yiy honestly believe ta
Amazing- the classic hallmark of a despicable troll. Instead of trying to respond to the actual content of my post, you desperately go in search of typos so you can comment on that, and find 3 in a 270 word post- all of which are obvious typos, do you honestly think I don't know how to spell security, no one, and cause? No, of course you realize they're meaningless typos, but you're too cowardly and dishonest to actually answer the questions I posed to you.
The question was, do you think it's reasonable or even possible for Apple to completely prevent component leaks stemming from photos, when they have components being made at dozens of suppliers, involving hundreds of thousands of 3rd party employees that are involved in the assembly and manufacture- at facilities where they have no direct control or ownership of the space or the people- and where products are being produced in the millions? Is it fair to define their security as "lax" if they can't meet this impossible ideal scenario? What specific proposals would you give, beyond what Apple is doing now, to ensure not a single photo gets send out from any of these facilities?
The days you are allegedly "longing" for having nothing to do with Steve Jobs, and everything to do witt he fact that external factors were utterly different. The original iPhone was not released until 6 months after it was shown. Do you not understand how it would be easy to keep something under wraps in that situation? Pretty much every product sine then has had component leaks, so your goal of trying to pin this on management or decreased security standards is childish and false. Any reasonable person would assume that Apple has significantly MORE security procedures and guidelines since then, not less. It just comes to a point where you have to be a reasonable, rational human being, and realize when the most sought at devices are being produced and tested in facilities employing many thousands of foreign workers for MONTHS then produced in the millions, there WILL be some leaks. And these days, blog start obsessively 3D printing sample phones from a single single leak. Blame sites like macrumors for this, where they commission and pay people to create models and spam those to the internet every day. This kind of capability didn't exist a few years ago. Another factor to consider.
Maybe this time read what I'm saying and take some time to consider it, instead of responding like a troll which you always do.
You need to relax. Geesh! You also need to take some responsibility in this exchange. If you had not started out your original reply with first telling me what to do and calling my thoughts as useless and idiotic, then maybe you might get a reasonable response. You will notice that in other reasonable responses to my original comment, I did not attack those people. Think about it.