Photos of alleged fully-assembled next-gen iPhone surface
Pictures of an alleged fully-assembled next-generation iPhone hit the web on Sunday, offering what could be the most detailed look at Apple's upcoming device yet.
The photos, posted on the blog of Japanese iPhone repair company iLab Factory, depict what is supposedly a complete next-generation iPhone built from leaked parts sourced from China.
The purported unit pieces together previously-seen components including the smaller 19-pin dock connector first rumored in June and reaffirmed last week by Reuters sources, what appears to be space for a larger 4-inch display and a relocated headphone jack. The site notes that the home button's finish has been modified and feels to be improved. A report in April found a supposedly leaked home button had been slightly redesigned internally to accomodate changes made to the screen and case.
While all of the external parts are in place, most of the handset's innards are missing with only power and sensor flex cables and accompanying home button circuitry installed. This lack of integral electronics, such as cameras, logic board and battery, hint the supposedly-leaked parts may have come from an upstream supplier rather than an assembly plant.
Source: iLab Factory
Pictures of the unit's casing show the two-tone aluminum design first seen in early June, though noticeably absent is the nano-SIM card tray purportedly leaked in May.
The unit's front seems to sit tightly with the uni-body casing which, unlike the current generation iPhone 4S, features a slightly beveled edge. Side shots show the expected volume rocker button assembly and hold switch as well as a sleeker profile compared to existing iPhones.
Making a reappearance is the small hole located beween the camera assembly and the unit's LED flash, a feature which was rumored to be removed in final production models.
Source: iLab Factory
As mentioned above, much of the internals are absent, however what is in place yields some insight into how Apple plans to utilize the cramped space. The site notes three screw anchors on the back plate will likely hold the display in place while four screw anchors located on the unit's right wall and six on the left will most likely secure integral components as the device can no longer be opened by removing case-back. Also new are four screw holes at the top of the case near the power button though their use remains a mystery.
Source: iLab Factory
Overall, the site points out the alleged device boasts a high-quality milled aluminum feel consistent with all Apple products and makes special note of the unit's thinness.
Apple is rumored to announce a follow-up to the iPhone 4S sometime this fall with one analyst estimating an early-September launch.
The photos, posted on the blog of Japanese iPhone repair company iLab Factory, depict what is supposedly a complete next-generation iPhone built from leaked parts sourced from China.
The purported unit pieces together previously-seen components including the smaller 19-pin dock connector first rumored in June and reaffirmed last week by Reuters sources, what appears to be space for a larger 4-inch display and a relocated headphone jack. The site notes that the home button's finish has been modified and feels to be improved. A report in April found a supposedly leaked home button had been slightly redesigned internally to accomodate changes made to the screen and case.
While all of the external parts are in place, most of the handset's innards are missing with only power and sensor flex cables and accompanying home button circuitry installed. This lack of integral electronics, such as cameras, logic board and battery, hint the supposedly-leaked parts may have come from an upstream supplier rather than an assembly plant.
Source: iLab Factory
Pictures of the unit's casing show the two-tone aluminum design first seen in early June, though noticeably absent is the nano-SIM card tray purportedly leaked in May.
The unit's front seems to sit tightly with the uni-body casing which, unlike the current generation iPhone 4S, features a slightly beveled edge. Side shots show the expected volume rocker button assembly and hold switch as well as a sleeker profile compared to existing iPhones.
Making a reappearance is the small hole located beween the camera assembly and the unit's LED flash, a feature which was rumored to be removed in final production models.
Source: iLab Factory
As mentioned above, much of the internals are absent, however what is in place yields some insight into how Apple plans to utilize the cramped space. The site notes three screw anchors on the back plate will likely hold the display in place while four screw anchors located on the unit's right wall and six on the left will most likely secure integral components as the device can no longer be opened by removing case-back. Also new are four screw holes at the top of the case near the power button though their use remains a mystery.
Source: iLab Factory
Overall, the site points out the alleged device boasts a high-quality milled aluminum feel consistent with all Apple products and makes special note of the unit's thinness.
Apple is rumored to announce a follow-up to the iPhone 4S sometime this fall with one analyst estimating an early-September launch.
Comments
Fully-assembled… case.
I hate 16:9…
These look like the real deal. Hopefully this level of completion implies we'll see the new model sooner rather than later. Apple needs to hit a home run with the iPhone 5; Samsung has been (surprisingly, at least to me) outselling Apple 2:1 lately.
Time for Apple to start to 'Think Different' again.
Anyway... It'll likely sell well enough (merely because it's an Apple product), but it's becoming pretty obvious that the once creative arm of Apple is (seemingly) coming up very short on interesting ideas as of late (to include iOS 6), while competitors are truly advancing the state of mobile device technology/design.
Come on Cook, Ivy and Company... Surely there are still a few great (design) ideas left in you.
I don't think this will sell that well. Looks like the same thing. They should have thought of something else.
The sky is falling!
That's not a single model.
Hopefully they are not increasing the screen size as 3.5 is all you need. 5 years and Apple has kept the screen size. It's been a success. No need to me with it
It is very sad that the screen does not have dimensions of the center back panel. Only if Apple managed to do that, the screen would've been measured as at least 4.5" or maybe close to 5". (Yes, you know I hate the Home button, wish it is gone for good, or at least got squeezed at the bottom).
From the design point of view, do not like the asymmetry between the screen and the center back panel either.
Originally Posted by DaHarder
…complacency in the Apple design department lately. Time for Apple to start to 'Think Different' again.
Originally Posted by maijojacob
I don't think this will sell that well. Looks like the same thing. They should have thought of something else.
Are you people freaking kidding me? Do you really think that after over a year of saying this that it means anything at all?
The front and sides look like they could be legit but there is no way Apple would produce a two-tone rear case.
Originally Posted by chadmatic
…there is no way Apple would produce a two-tone rear case.
???? ???????
Commonality among smartphone designs notwithstanding, this looks considerably like an "Apple-ized" HTC Arrive/7 Pro... front and back. (Sans slide-out keyboard)
Not that I have a problem with that. Eventually there will be convergence. Years ago when the first Glock pistol appeared on the market their advertisements claimed "someday all handguns will be this good." Years later, other handgun manufacturers caught up because the Glock design (and technology) was the best.
I still call bullshyt on several reasons:
1) How many pictures did we see of the aboslutely-guaranteed-to-be-it-because-Jesus-himself-said-so iPhone5 prototype.. and we only got the 4S. It was supposed to have a curved body & wider 4" screen. Every blog/techsite/leak swore up & down the iPhone5 was coming in for sure in October 2011. So much so, I watched the whole announcement and was absolutely sure the 5 was still going to show up after the 4S and look like this:
2) How does a "Japanese iPhone repair facility".. build an iPhone5 from "spare parts from a Chinese factory". Get fukk outta here. Really. I'd believe that, right after I believe a "German car mechanic" has built his own replica of the "competely redesigned 2014 Chevrolet Corvette".
3) How hard is it.. to build a chassis from leaked pictures. We've already seen the proposed renderings using professional software. I'm sure someone with enough time/money/effort/talent would go out of their way to build their own fake iPhone5 prototype.. just because of the attention it will attract.
And now they begin to come out of the woodwork. I clearly remember when the original iP4 came out, iTrolls lambasted the design, ridiculing Apple for coming out with something so ugly, and how no one will buy this phone. Clearly they harped the "Apple is doomed" mentality.
This is a solid update, with most (if not all) the internals updated. It's a great looking, elegant, polished looking design that still keeps the iconic iPhone design and image. People will know when they see it that it's an Apple creation. I think it looks great.
If you had the expectation of some radical redesign (and you know who you are), there are plenty of garbage Android phones you can buy that the vendor or your choice will gladly support until the next "new" phone three months later, after which they will forget about you like yesterday's newspaper. Guys like you need your next 5-minute-fix to keep your ADHD attention-span occupied.
Apple of course will sell a gazillion of these phones, to which you same sofa-critics will then deduce that it was only the loyal iSheep that bought it and to simply "wait till the iHype wears off" and then "Apple is clearly doomed" mantra kicks in.
Same tired story. You criticize Apple for not being original yet fail to look into the mirror and see that you're the one that lacks originality.
[IMG]http://forums.appleinsider.com/content/type/61/id/9248/width/500/height/1000[/IMG]
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tallest Skil
???? ???????
LOL! Let me re-phrase that... There is no way Apple would produce a two-tone rear case in the pattern shown in that photo.
I call this fake !!!!
The unit is ugly, desproportioned and ill finished.
Quote:
Originally Posted by AppleInsider
Pictures of an alleged fully-assembled next-generation iPhone hit the web on Sunday...
Doesn't look quite right to me. The front plate seems to sit up higher in this assembly than the current 4s model, which is very unlikely. It's pretty obviously crooked in most of the shots and the backplate they are using seems like a reject more than a spare part given the overall roughness of the seams.
I think the overall thickness of the phone will be slightly thinner than these shots imply. They make it look thicker than the 4s.
Exactly. Blah, blah, blah. Meaningless blather.
16:9 will be great for movies and games, and in portrait offers more usable screen real estate for scrolling content like web pages and lists (which make up the lion's share of most non-game applications).
I hope it has some non-obvious tech like an NFC chip in there as well, but either way I'm buying this, and so will most of you guys once you actually see Tim Cook bring it out on stage and explain why it's great.
Quote:
Originally Posted by chadmatic
The front and sides look like they could be legit but there is no way Apple would produce a two-tone rear case.
I kind of agree.
Also, is that a blue tone? How do you make stainless steel blue without affecting its conductivity? Along that line, if the back is metal and presumably stainless steel, where are the separation points to provide two clear antennae?