Apple rumored to ditch glass back for aluminum with iPhone 5

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Comments

  • Reply 101 of 122
    same form factor as current iphone - just thinner - thinner, lighter glass - narrower metal divider - and entire phone shorter - eliminating home button
  • Reply 102 of 122
    palegolaspalegolas Posts: 1,361member
    Unibody ftw.
  • Reply 103 of 122
    macm37macm37 Posts: 41member
    This sounds really great if they decide to use the patent they just won for a scratch-proof nitride metal device coating {http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/11/03/01/apple_granted_invention_of_scratch_proof_nitride_m etal_device_coating.html}. Hopefully, they can make the iPhone's case out of liquidmetal so that we don't have that much of a need for bumper cases. Taking every rumor into account for the iPhone 5, it sounds like Apple will leapfrog their competitors in both sales, features, and innovation.
  • Reply 104 of 122
    dunksdunks Posts: 1,254member
    I hope Apple retains the current design for the iPhone 5. I'm not really a fan of this "tapering edge" fetish.
  • Reply 105 of 122
    cnocbuicnocbui Posts: 3,613member
    Porsche have used aluminium cylinder liners with a Nikasil surface coating.



    Quote:

    Nikasil is a trademarked electrodeposited lipophilic nickel matrix silicon carbide coating for engine components, mainly piston engine cylinder liners.



    I suspect Apple should talk to Kyocera, I am sure they would have something to suit, however I suspect Apple are too stingy to pay for anything top notch, might impact their precious margins. They didn't use genuine Gorilla glass, for example, while other phone manufacturers do.
  • Reply 106 of 122
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by irnchriz View Post


    I had an original iPhone and the aluminium scratched incredibly easily. They should just do the back in gorilla glass.



    I agree. I like the iPhone 4's design the best.
  • Reply 107 of 122
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Marvin View Post


    I posted an iPad-style mockup previously that I think would be quite nice:







    Didn't Apple design the original iPhone with the plastic transceiver cover at the bottom to put it as far away from the head as possible?
  • Reply 108 of 122
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by OllieWallieWhiskers View Post


    i think you've confused your metals.



    my aluminum 2nd gen iPod nano is pretty scratch free... there are dings and dents from the several times i've dropped it... but very few scratches.



    i really wish Apple would turn to aluminum on the iPod touch... the current stainless steel back scratches way to easily.



    Ah, did I? My bad (^_~)



    How about the 2004 iPods? We have a 40GB model of that one (and it still works perfectly), but the back is all scratched.
  • Reply 109 of 122
    mstonemstone Posts: 11,510member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by DanaCameron View Post


    Didn't Apple design the original iPhone with the plastic transceiver cover at the bottom to put it as far away from the head as possible?



    That is an excellent point. Mock ups aside, the article says that the radio signal will transmit through the Apple logo. It seems that in order to comply with FCC regulations the logo will need to be very close to the bottom of the device, in a rather unattractive placement, at least with respect to Apple's typical branding.
  • Reply 110 of 122
    bsenkabsenka Posts: 799member
    Count me as one who never liked the glass back and very strongly welcomes the idea of an aluminum one. It would unify the lineup well with the iPad, iMac, Macbook (Pro and Air), Mac Mini, keyboard, trackpad, etc, etc.
  • Reply 111 of 122
    lightknightlightknight Posts: 2,312member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by pmz View Post


    Move on, nothing to see here. Not going to happen.



    Scratches? FUD. There's not one scratch on any iPhone 4 I've ever seen. Not on the front or the back. Mine has never had a case on it in 9 months. Guess since I don't carry around pockets full of diamonds..



    I *KNEW* I had forgotten something! I'm off to buy a special pouch for all those diamonds of mine...
  • Reply 112 of 122
    MarvinMarvin Posts: 15,309moderator
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by DanaCameron View Post


    Didn't Apple design the original iPhone with the plastic transceiver cover at the bottom to put it as far away from the head as possible?



    Yeah, they'd probably rather put it on the bottom again. As long as the plug surrounding is metal so it doesn't crack, that would be ok.



    The 2G design is actually how I imagined the 3rd party external phone addon would look. Just a small plastic base with some cell phone parts. It would be so easy to sell your device again without worrying that it's locked to one carrier. The iPhone is on all carriers now anyway so it's no big deal.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by mstone


    It seems that in order to comply with FCC regulations the logo will need to be very close to the bottom of the device, in a rather unattractive placement, at least with respect to Apple's typical branding.



    Surely the regulations just ensure that the concentration of the waves doesn't pass through the head in which case the antenna could go anywhere as long as the waves are blocked from moving in the direction of the head. Other phones have their antennas on the top - you can see some in Apple's death grip videos where they cover parts near the top of the phone. Here's a diagram for symbian phones:







    Whatever they decide to do, I think we can rest assured they'll test it fully this time in the field even if they have to drive round in a car that has a booth like the pope mobile with tinted windows so no one sees what they're up to.
  • Reply 113 of 122
    bushman4bushman4 Posts: 858member
    Sometimes reading the rumors puts a smile on my face. Why would Apple revert back to the design of the Iphone3g?? If anything Apple will most likely use one the of the patents they have secured or something created by Liquid Metal.

    March is here and the Iphone5 rumors are just starting. By next month this time..,.....

    And by May everything And anything will be posted
  • Reply 114 of 122
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Ireland View Post


    I still have my original and it has no scratches on the aluminum. The glass (and it's not Gorilla, that's a Trademark) scratches more easily.



    My iPhone 4 remains virtually scratchless, and it looks very nice. I am defitenitley keeping my current jailbroken iPhone 4 instead of getting a shitty, ugly aluminum iPhone.
  • Reply 115 of 122
    sheffsheff Posts: 1,407member
    I guess there is not as much need for differentiation between iPhone and iPod Touch nowadays. Its a war of ecosystems not devices within ecosystems. I for one really like the new Touch's design.
  • Reply 116 of 122
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by DanaCameron View Post


    Didn't Apple design the original iPhone with the plastic transceiver cover at the bottom to put it as far away from the head as possible?



    Yes, precisely. The image appears 'shopped from an iPad 3G. It'd be easier to just post a picture of the back of the original aluminum iPhone:







    Frankly, I like the glass design of the iPhone 4: somewhat impractical but elegant and cool. It's too bad the Chinese couldn't get white paint to work. It's hard to see going back to aluminum. Although I bet iPhone 5 will have some kind of magnetic screen cover that will turn the phone on when removed.
  • Reply 117 of 122
    nvidia2008nvidia2008 Posts: 9,262member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Ireland View Post


    Scotty didn't invent that, he just mentioned and used it



    Nerd award for the month. Goes to me too because I agree and remember the scene.
  • Reply 118 of 122
    nvidia2008nvidia2008 Posts: 9,262member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by addabox View Post


    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 keep telling you blokes, once the timeline is messed with, it branches off into a different quantum state hence making whatever the future of that timeline irrelevant. IE. temporal prime directive = bollocks.



    Let me try this another way - if you go back in time and kill your father before you are conceived you won't disappear from existence, you simply slip into a different timeline in which you are alive but your father is dead.



    BTW the whole "aliens want the whales back" was quite ridiculous a premise and only worked because of the existing eco-consciousness related to marine life (ie. before climate change became "the" evil environmental thing).



    Overall, I enjoyed the movie nonetheless. Hope too many psychos didn't wander the San Francisco parks at night after that hoping to bump into cloaked spaceships.
  • Reply 119 of 122
    neondietneondiet Posts: 44member
    I agree. Both my wife and I have iPhone 4's. Mine probably gets gentler treatment than my wife's as hers gets bashed about in her handbag along with god knows what. But neither of them have a single scratch and that definitely could not be said of the previous generation iPhone's we've owned. Both of us have the Apple bumpers and haven't had antenna issues since we got them. So personally I hope that Apple stick with glass both sides, as it seems to be very practical, hardwearing and cool to look at.
  • Reply 120 of 122
    sdw2001sdw2001 Posts: 18,015member
    I know both the back and my screen have micro scratches. Nothing you can see while screen is on...but while off it's noticeable. As for the back, I got rid of the flimsy bumper and got a real case.
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