If Apple goes with a glass back again, then your thoughts on it having a solar panel is an excellent idea. However, no offense to you personally, but having a physical photo printed and embedded behind the glass back sounds like an awful idea. I can't imagine Apple ever doing something like this.
I could see some sort of 2nd LCD screen being imbedded behind a clear back so you could set an image or video to play on the back, just be prepared for your battery life to plummet.
Apple uses Matt Aluminium, and this is an extremely scratch resistant material. In the same way, why not use Matt Stainless Steel?
I mean the same material that the Magpie cutlery is made of. That material withstands scratches and dents very well - of course it is a lot heavier than Aluminium. Could be about same weight as glass or lighter, I guess.
I'd rather have plastic back. Anything else I probably would have to put on a case and I never like the idea of using a case.
My front glass got a pretty deep gouge in it. I have no idea how as I try not to carry it in the same pocket as my keys. But for me, in the end, the iPhone is a tool I use every single day and the idea of spending time keeping it pristine is futile. I love the look of the ip4 but all the shiny glass will eventually loose out to wear and tear. The ip4 has withstood the elements much better than the ip3gs, however. Mine was a mess when it got retired. Personally I hope the iPhone aesthetic will turn more functionalist to allow for wear and tear. Like a pair of jeans. Maybe Apple should allow for replaceable backs. Let people customize and replace to their hearts' content.
- embedding Solar Panel under the glass, so phone can get charged from Ambient light. A panel the size of the iPhone4, would generate decent bit of electricity.
Not yet - a solar panel that size would produce no more than a trickle, even if you left the phone in direct sunlight all day.
I would expect, however, that Apple has the most advanced R&D in the solar industry, and that they will blow us away with the iPhone 5. If anybody could design a solar panel with the kind of efficiency you describe, it would be Steve.
I posted an iPad-style mockup previously that I think would be quite nice:
I don't like the shiny metal in the iPod, I like the matte-style metal in the iPad and Mac line. I also hope the remove the home button this time unlike iPad 2.
I guess the Apple logo would be enough space for reception. The iPad plastic top shown above may not meet the FCC guidelines and if the 2G was ok for signal, I suppose it doesn't matter much. I think the top part is probably the least likely to be covered though.
I still think it would be best if they didn't do the phone parts at all and just had a plastic sleeve for a device styled like the above that clips on the bottom into the 30-pin port for power and allows you to plug in another 30-pin plug at the bottom.
This way you pay for an iPod ($199) and any carrier sells you a sleeve with a phone plan.
I purposely said concerns as opposed to flaws to lessen the severity. I don't think they are flaws per se, I just think improvement is needed. They are at least concerns that I have. And even if it is a perception issue with antennas, it is still a concern for a good number of people. I don't think the iP4 antennas are inferior by any means. In fact, I think they are great in most ways. I just think Apple needs to find a process to tweak them, either giving them a coating, or attaching them differently, or maybe even having multiple antennas for each purpose to add redundancy. And likely there are other cool engineering tricks that I am unaware of. This is all I would need, just an effort to improve it.
As for the glass back, I definitely have concerns here. The glass back is gorgeous and feels really really good. But I don't want to have to use a case. And if the back glass is not strong enough to withstand a drop or two without cracking, then they have to make a change.
I understand. I didn't mean anything personal or any offence etc. I also freak out when I drop my iPhone because I don't use a case. Most people use cases though, and most of the time it doesn't break when you drop it.
It probably sounds dumb to a lot of people but if it were up to me, I would replace the back with a wooden one actually. I think it's the best solution all around. Maybe plastic for durability with a thin veneer of nice fancy wood attached. Make them easily user replaceable and a whole side business is born for when they get scuffed up.
I really like the design of the iPhone 4. I think it looks and feels awesome, and while the antennae issue was real, it was so easily avoided that I hardly see it as a major issue.
so far i never had any issue with the antenna with my iphone 4. I really like the iphone4 design better.
It probably sounds dumb to a lot of people but if it were up to me, I would replace the back with a wooden one actually.
That would be interesting. Reminiscent of the old Parker and Waterman writing instruments from the 50s. I'd like an exotic Brasillian Rosewood or Zebra wood model. Nice.
This seems highly unlikely to me. Apple switched from an alu back to plastic and then glass to improve reception, so why on earth would they go back?
The wi-fi reception on the aluminium backed iPad is utterly miserable (it maxes out at around 15mbits on my home network, but when I tested a bog standard Dell notebook it would easily top 45mbit on the same network).
This seems highly unlikely to me. Apple switched from an alu back to plastic and then glass to improve reception, so why on earth would they go back?
The wi-fi reception on the aluminium backed iPad is utterly miserable (it maxes out at around 15mbits on my home network, but when I tested a bog standard Dell notebook it would easily top 45mbit on the same network).
Every Material is going to have it's downsides. It just depends on which downside Apple is willing to embrace. I had the original iPhone, and I had zero issues with wi-fi or AT&T signal/connection/speed. I loved that phone. From a pure design perspective, the iP4 has the edge, but for design plus durability, the original iPhone wins hands down (no back glass panel to shatter).
You know what: Jobs and Ive and Apple got so caught up in the iPhone design, they completely forgot how the phone would actually be used. That is: By people who would never, ever win a Gold Glove (i.e., dropping things is a way of life), and by people whose hands would inevitably short-circuit the antenna.
Telling people "not to hold it like that" just doesn't work. For often-distracted, average folks, all you can ask is that they hold it without dropping it.
The next phone needs to be less precious and more conscious of the real world.
Sorry , disagree, if you want "less precious and more conscious of the real world" buy a Samsung or HTC android phone,..!
how about keeping the back glass and making it touch sensitive, such as basic swipe gestures to allow you to easily scroll one handed through web pages or photos, and say volume increase/decrease,.. as a starter
how about keeping the back glass and making it touch sensitive, such as basic swipe gestures to allow you to easily scroll one handed through web pages or photos, and say volume increase/decrease,.. as a starter
When I scroll through web pages, I want to swipe and scroll on the side of the screen that has the webpage. TO be scrolling on the back would be counterintuitive to most. As for volume I prefer a physical button. Same with a home button. I don't like the idea of zero real buttons. What the iPhone has now is ideal in this regard, nothing more, nothing less.
The wi-fi reception on the aluminium backed iPad is utterly miserable (it maxes out at around 15mbits on my home network, but when I tested a bog standard Dell notebook it would easily top 45mbit on the same network).
It's not likely to be the material of the device affecting the transfer rate. There are a number of reports about capped wifi in iOS devices:
Comments
The only real pro for aluminum on the back of the iP5 is weight.
Getting rid of the glass on the back could save Apple quite some weight.
And yes I like the design of the iP4 as it is now.
What? Do You even realize how light the back cover is?
Aluminum will only make It heavier.
If Apple goes with a glass back again, then your thoughts on it having a solar panel is an excellent idea. However, no offense to you personally, but having a physical photo printed and embedded behind the glass back sounds like an awful idea. I can't imagine Apple ever doing something like this.
I could see some sort of 2nd LCD screen being imbedded behind a clear back so you could set an image or video to play on the back, just be prepared for your battery life to plummet.
I mean the same material that the Magpie cutlery is made of. That material withstands scratches and dents very well - of course it is a lot heavier than Aluminium. Could be about same weight as glass or lighter, I guess.
I'd rather have plastic back. Anything else I probably would have to put on a case and I never like the idea of using a case.
My front glass got a pretty deep gouge in it. I have no idea how as I try not to carry it in the same pocket as my keys. But for me, in the end, the iPhone is a tool I use every single day and the idea of spending time keeping it pristine is futile. I love the look of the ip4 but all the shiny glass will eventually loose out to wear and tear. The ip4 has withstood the elements much better than the ip3gs, however. Mine was a mess when it got retired. Personally I hope the iPhone aesthetic will turn more functionalist to allow for wear and tear. Like a pair of jeans. Maybe Apple should allow for replaceable backs. Let people customize and replace to their hearts' content.
- embedding Solar Panel under the glass, so phone can get charged from Ambient light. A panel the size of the iPhone4, would generate decent bit of electricity.
Not yet - a solar panel that size would produce no more than a trickle, even if you left the phone in direct sunlight all day.
I would expect, however, that Apple has the most advanced R&D in the solar industry, and that they will blow us away with the iPhone 5. If anybody could design a solar panel with the kind of efficiency you describe, it would be Steve.
I don't like the shiny metal in the iPod, I like the matte-style metal in the iPad and Mac line. I also hope the remove the home button this time unlike iPad 2.
I guess the Apple logo would be enough space for reception. The iPad plastic top shown above may not meet the FCC guidelines and if the 2G was ok for signal, I suppose it doesn't matter much. I think the top part is probably the least likely to be covered though.
I still think it would be best if they didn't do the phone parts at all and just had a plastic sleeve for a device styled like the above that clips on the bottom into the 30-pin port for power and allows you to plug in another 30-pin plug at the bottom.
This way you pay for an iPod ($199) and any carrier sells you a sleeve with a phone plan.
Scotty didn't invent transparent aluminum. He only showed somebody else how to make it.
In the past. So that the technology was available to Scotty in the future. But then the Temporal Prime Directive wasn't in place yet. Or was it?
Thank God the whole thing has been rebooted via a temporal anomaly, or it might be confusing.
I purposely said concerns as opposed to flaws to lessen the severity. I don't think they are flaws per se, I just think improvement is needed. They are at least concerns that I have. And even if it is a perception issue with antennas, it is still a concern for a good number of people. I don't think the iP4 antennas are inferior by any means. In fact, I think they are great in most ways. I just think Apple needs to find a process to tweak them, either giving them a coating, or attaching them differently, or maybe even having multiple antennas for each purpose to add redundancy. And likely there are other cool engineering tricks that I am unaware of. This is all I would need, just an effort to improve it.
As for the glass back, I definitely have concerns here. The glass back is gorgeous and feels really really good. But I don't want to have to use a case. And if the back glass is not strong enough to withstand a drop or two without cracking, then they have to make a change.
I understand. I didn't mean anything personal or any offence etc. I also freak out when I drop my iPhone because I don't use a case. Most people use cases though, and most of the time it doesn't break when you drop it.
It probably sounds dumb to a lot of people but if it were up to me, I would replace the back with a wooden one actually. I think it's the best solution all around. Maybe plastic for durability with a thin veneer of nice fancy wood attached. Make them easily user replaceable and a whole side business is born for when they get scuffed up.
What if Apple used liquid metal instead aluminum ?
I really like the design of the iPhone 4. I think it looks and feels awesome, and while the antennae issue was real, it was so easily avoided that I hardly see it as a major issue.
so far i never had any issue with the antenna with my iphone 4. I really like the iphone4 design better.
and so far, no scratches it.
It probably sounds dumb to a lot of people but if it were up to me, I would replace the back with a wooden one actually.
That would be interesting. Reminiscent of the old Parker and Waterman writing instruments from the 50s. I'd like an exotic Brasillian Rosewood or Zebra wood model. Nice.
The wi-fi reception on the aluminium backed iPad is utterly miserable (it maxes out at around 15mbits on my home network, but when I tested a bog standard Dell notebook it would easily top 45mbit on the same network).
This seems highly unlikely to me. Apple switched from an alu back to plastic and then glass to improve reception, so why on earth would they go back?
The wi-fi reception on the aluminium backed iPad is utterly miserable (it maxes out at around 15mbits on my home network, but when I tested a bog standard Dell notebook it would easily top 45mbit on the same network).
Every Material is going to have it's downsides. It just depends on which downside Apple is willing to embrace. I had the original iPhone, and I had zero issues with wi-fi or AT&T signal/connection/speed. I loved that phone. From a pure design perspective, the iP4 has the edge, but for design plus durability, the original iPhone wins hands down (no back glass panel to shatter).
Maybe we will finally see an application of the transparent aluminum that Scotty invented
That would be neat, but really if Apple would just create a synthetic diamond back plate I believe that would be just as affective.
You know what: Jobs and Ive and Apple got so caught up in the iPhone design, they completely forgot how the phone would actually be used. That is: By people who would never, ever win a Gold Glove (i.e., dropping things is a way of life), and by people whose hands would inevitably short-circuit the antenna.
Telling people "not to hold it like that" just doesn't work. For often-distracted, average folks, all you can ask is that they hold it without dropping it.
The next phone needs to be less precious and more conscious of the real world.
Sorry , disagree, if you want "less precious and more conscious of the real world" buy a Samsung or HTC android phone,..!
iPhone 4 is Apple at its best,..!!!
I liked how the iPhone 4 looks and feels. It's a awesome design thats seperates from everyone else.
What if Apple used liquid metal instead aluminum ?
Ah ha, liquid metal,.. now you may be onto something there ,... if i were a betting person thats where i would put my money,..
how about keeping the back glass and making it touch sensitive, such as basic swipe gestures to allow you to easily scroll one handed through web pages or photos, and say volume increase/decrease,.. as a starter
When I scroll through web pages, I want to swipe and scroll on the side of the screen that has the webpage. TO be scrolling on the back would be counterintuitive to most. As for volume I prefer a physical button. Same with a home button. I don't like the idea of zero real buttons. What the iPhone has now is ideal in this regard, nothing more, nothing less.
The wi-fi reception on the aluminium backed iPad is utterly miserable (it maxes out at around 15mbits on my home network, but when I tested a bog standard Dell notebook it would easily top 45mbit on the same network).
It's not likely to be the material of the device affecting the transfer rate. There are a number of reports about capped wifi in iOS devices:
http://discussions.apple.com/message...ageID=12512074
http://www.digitalsociety.org/2010/0...ce-benchmarks/
http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=885177
There's always ethernet if it becomes an issue:
http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/05/r...ector-not-eth/