'iPhone 5' appears to adopt internal design elements from iPhone 3GS

Posted:
in iPhone edited January 2014
Apple's latest iPhone 5 components appear to be reverting back to some design elements of the iPhone 3GS, albeit with a modern twist.

According to a report by RepairLabs, new photos depicting the iPhone 5's front digitizer and display assembly show metal brackets that "suggest that it will be sitting into a housing, similar to a 3GS, but more updated and modern."

The site observes that "it looks like it has a plastic 3GS-type midframe running around the digitizer and glass LCD assembly," adding, "we notice a striking similarity to a 3GS, with the bottom screws and brackets. We think it?s going to pull open from the front."



The report includes photos that detail bottom screw brackets similar to the design of the iPhone 3GS, surrounding the smaller, 9-pin Dock Connector that has been previously reported.





"From the width of the bracket, we can tell the charger port is indeed going to be smaller because it has to fit between the two silver bottom screw brackets, just like a 3GS," the report adds.

"These pictures suggest that the LCD may pull apart from the Digitizer, given the rivets on the sides. (This is similar again to the 3GS, but a departure from the 4 and 4S.)" The site provides additional photos of the digitizer/display in its report.

Apple is expected to introduce the sixth generation iPhone at a media event in California on September 12th.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 32
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member


    Bottom Screw Brackets Like 3GS Confirms Smaller Charger Port


     


    1. How, inherently?


    2. How Do The People That Capitalize Every Word In A Sentence Exist? I mean, sure, titles; that I can understand. But when they type every sentence like that, how do they exist? They're having to hit Shift for every word. Did they learn to write like that? And what books are they reading that do that?

  • Reply 2 of 32

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Tallest Skil View Post


     


    1. How, inherently?





    because the charge port has to fit in between those two screw brackets.

  • Reply 3 of 32
    lilgto64lilgto64 Posts: 1,147member


    I am going to laugh SOOOO hard if all those pics turn out to be the iPod Touch Gen5 and the iPhone 5 is completely different.


     


    Then again - if the only major changes outwardly from iPhone4S to iPhone5 is a bit taller and new charging port (along with bigger screen upgraded internals etc etc) I think I may like it. 


     
  • Reply 4 of 32
    blackbookblackbook Posts: 1,361member
    lilgto64 wrote: »
    I am going to laugh SOOOO hard if all those pics turn out to be the iPod Touch Gen5 and the iPhone 5 is completely different.


    I'm going to be laughing so hard if Apple is the one leaking all this false info.

    I mean what a brilliant way to get the media thinking these leaks are real by putting 3GS internals in a 4S frame. A cheap way to get people thinking these fakes are real.
  • Reply 5 of 32
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member


    Originally Posted by OllieWallieWhiskers View Post

    because the charge port has to fit in between those two screw brackets.


     


    image Yes. But… 


     


    …I'll just leave it at that. Yours is probably the best response.

  • Reply 6 of 32
    seankillseankill Posts: 566member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by blackbook View Post





    I'm going to be laughing so hard if Apple is the one leaking all this false info.

    I mean what a brilliant way to get the media thinking these leaks are real by putting 3GS internals in a 4S frame. A cheap way to get people thinking these fakes are real.


     


    i'm going to laugh when you are wrong and the iphone is exactly this (which i expect)

  • Reply 7 of 32
    charlitunacharlituna Posts: 7,217member
    This is one change I can believe.

    The front glass is the more annoying break that the back and yet they replace the whole unit. Going back to a front piece that can be replaced is better for the customer. Although how that will work with Apple Care + I don't know. I suppose that would be for liquid or major drops hen the insides could be borked. Or maybe replacing the front still counts as 'an incident' and you pay the $49 not something like $99
  • Reply 8 of 32
    blackbookblackbook Posts: 1,361member
    seankill wrote: »
    i'm going to laugh when you are wrong and the iphone is exactly this (which i expect)
    That's a possibility.

    I don't mind the new design but I still don't feel it's a cohesive design.

    Anyway it's the features it has that's going to make or break it.
  • Reply 9 of 32


    "reverting back" is like saying something is unnecessarily redundant.....


     


    ;-)

  • Reply 10 of 32
    kimk69kimk69 Posts: 77member
    Would be easier for me to replace the glass
    For sure but I hope it doesn't accumulate dirt
    In between the glass and LCD.
    Or didn't I also read where it's going to be some
    Kind of a new glass & display to make it thinner?
    Whatever, I just hope it doesn't get dirt under the glass.
  • Reply 11 of 32


    Makes total sense, iPhone design is split between two teams. each delivering a tock and a tick release. So elements of design from the 3G/3GS will filter through.


     


    iPhone - Team A


    iPhone 3G/3GS - Team B


    iPhone 4/CDMA/S4 - Team A


    iPhone 5/Next Model - Team B


     


    Team A & B both worked on iPhone & 3G shells at the same time to see which would win out for the first release. iPhone was then followed by 3G 10 months later.


    Whilst Team B delivered the 3GS, Team A worked on the iPhone 4 chassis.


    Team A then delivered CDMA & the 4S whilst Team B were working on What we'll see in Sept.

  • Reply 12 of 32
    eriamjheriamjh Posts: 1,630member


    Your theory actually makes sense.

  • Reply 13 of 32
    gazoobeegazoobee Posts: 3,754member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by daMoog View Post


    Makes total sense, iPhone design is split between two teams. each delivering a tock and a tick release. So elements of design from the 3G/3GS will filter through.


     


    iPhone - Team A


    iPhone 3G/3GS - Team B


    iPhone 4/CDMA/S4 - Team A


    iPhone 5/Next Model - Team B


     


    Team A & B both worked on iPhone & 3G shells at the same time to see which would win out for the first release. iPhone was then followed by 3G 10 months later.


    Whilst Team B delivered the 3GS, Team A worked on the iPhone 4 chassis.


    Team A then delivered CDMA & the 4S whilst Team B were working on What we'll see in Sept.



     


    This makes no sense to me.  I think you are just making this up and inadvertently presenting it as fact because you don't know how to write english sentences properly or clearly.  Please point to the source that indicates Apple designs it's phones with two separate teams, handing the design off every year to the opposite team.  

  • Reply 14 of 32
    shidellshidell Posts: 187member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Gazoobee View Post


     


    This makes no sense to me.  I think you are just making this up and inadvertently presenting it as fact because you don't know how to write english sentences properly or clearly.  Please point to the source that indicates Apple designs it's phones with two separate teams, handing the design off every year to the opposite team.  



     


    You can't disprove it!


     


    /God theory.

  • Reply 15 of 32
    nagrommenagromme Posts: 2,834member


    I believe the new iPhone’s glass face will stick out beyond the metal band. A plastic lip or edge, that holds the glass, much like the current iPhones sticks out in front (and back). I don’t like that, but I know I’ll get used to it.


     


    It will still be thinner than current iPhones: the front won’t stick out AS much, and back won’t stick out at all (it’s a single flush piece).


     


    We’ve see photos/videos that make the new screen SEEM to be set in flush with the metal band. But if you look closely at the side views, we’re seeing the metal band without ANY screen installed. The part that sticks out is simply not present in the photos. That leads people to think the new iPhone will be thinner than it really will be. In reality, I believe the front won’t quite “match” the back, because the front will have a (slightly) protruding face while the back will be totally flat/flush.


     


    Here is the clearest photo showing the lip that sticks out. Look at the white plastic that holds the glass (and AI’s article shows the same plastic element—in black):


    http://forums.macrumors.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=355303&d=1346429159


     


    See the “wall” that sticks up all the way around? Much like the iPhone 4, only smaller and more subtle (and only in front, not in back).


     


    I was kind of hoping that plastic frame could be pushed lower and become flush with the metal, but this video (at 15 seconds) clearly shows the “shelf” around the inner edge, where the face assembly must rest. Way too shallow to hide that whole plastic frame in the white photo. So I’m convinced the frame will stick out a bit beyond the metal.


     



     


    That video also SEEMS to show the glass flush with the metal—but that’s because they are missing a layer: the plastic that holds the glass isn’t there. Add the plastic, and it will all stick out. (I’d also guess that the glass in that video has a bit of wiggle where it rests, due to the tiny surrounding gap for the missing plastic lip.)


     


    Final exhibit: look at the right-hand corner here, by the lens flare:


     


    http://forums.macrumors.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=355300&d=1346427179


     


    You can see the edge of the iPhone 4 style lip sticking up. But at least it’s small!

  • Reply 16 of 32
    slurpyslurpy Posts: 5,382member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by daMoog View Post


    Makes total sense, iPhone design is split between two teams. each delivering a tock and a tick release. So elements of design from the 3G/3GS will filter through.


     


    iPhone - Team A


    iPhone 3G/3GS - Team B


    iPhone 4/CDMA/S4 - Team A


    iPhone 5/Next Model - Team B


     


    Team A & B both worked on iPhone & 3G shells at the same time to see which would win out for the first release. iPhone was then followed by 3G 10 months later.


    Whilst Team B delivered the 3GS, Team A worked on the iPhone 4 chassis.


    Team A then delivered CDMA & the 4S whilst Team B were working on What we'll see in Sept.



     


    Uh, No. Just no. 

  • Reply 17 of 32

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by daMoog View Post


    Makes total sense, iPhone design is split between two teams. each delivering a tock and a tick release. So elements of design from the 3G/3GS will filter through.


     


    iPhone - Team A


    iPhone 3G/3GS - Team B


    iPhone 4/CDMA/S4 - Team A


    iPhone 5/Next Model - Team B


     


    Team A & B both worked on iPhone & 3G shells at the same time to see which would win out for the first release. iPhone was then followed by 3G 10 months later.


    Whilst Team B delivered the 3GS, Team A worked on the iPhone 4 chassis.


    Team A then delivered CDMA & the 4S whilst Team B were working on What we'll see in Sept.





    This sort of makes sense. But there's a hole.


     


    The next model adopts the external antenna design from iP4 and iP4S. It stands to reason to adopt the internals too from those two design generations unless there is a reason not to, and it should be strong reason than mating one team's internal design with the second team's external design.

  • Reply 18 of 32
    antkm1antkm1 Posts: 1,441member


    edit: post removed.

  • Reply 19 of 32

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Kimk69 View Post



    Would be easier for me to replace the glass

    For sure but I hope it doesn't accumulate dirt

    In between the glass and LCD.

    Or didn't I also read where it's going to be some

    Kind of a new glass & display to make it thinner?

    Whatever, I just hope it doesn't get dirt under the glass.


    I read this as a poem.

  • Reply 20 of 32
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member


    Originally Posted by silverpraxis View Post

    I read this as a poem.


     


    LTE and faster, too.


    6th iPhone is coming soon!

    Burma-Shave.

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