Rumor: Rear shell for 4.7" 'iPhone 6' shown with inlaid Apple logo in new photos
Yet another rear shell for Apple's next-generation iPhone has purportedly been outed by sources in the company's Far East supply chain, with the latest set of photos showing a more refined unit complete with an iPad-like inlaid Apple logo.
The part appears to be at a later stage of manufacturing than those shown in previous leaks, with a smoother appearance. Utility comparison site uSwitch was first to publish the images.
The reason behind Apple's supposed move to an inlaid logo is not immediately clear, though some have speculated that it could be designed to allow the logo to light up -- similar to the company's MacBook line -- to notify users when a call or message comes in. The more likely explanation, however, is that the opening would be used for signals from one of the device's many antennae.
Another possible explanation is the widely-rumored inclusion of NFC in the so-called "iPhone 6," possibly coinciding with the introduction of an iTunes-backed mobile payment system. Placing an NFC antenna behind the Apple logo could be convenient for tap-and-go purchases.
Apple is widely expected to offer the iPhone 6 in two versions -- one with a 4.7-inch display and a larger, 5.5-inch "phablet" variant. Other features rumored to be in the offing are a new, 128-gigabyte capacity version, optical image stabilization, and a faster "A8" CPU.
The part appears to be at a later stage of manufacturing than those shown in previous leaks, with a smoother appearance. Utility comparison site uSwitch was first to publish the images.
The reason behind Apple's supposed move to an inlaid logo is not immediately clear, though some have speculated that it could be designed to allow the logo to light up -- similar to the company's MacBook line -- to notify users when a call or message comes in. The more likely explanation, however, is that the opening would be used for signals from one of the device's many antennae.
Another possible explanation is the widely-rumored inclusion of NFC in the so-called "iPhone 6," possibly coinciding with the introduction of an iTunes-backed mobile payment system. Placing an NFC antenna behind the Apple logo could be convenient for tap-and-go purchases.
Apple is widely expected to offer the iPhone 6 in two versions -- one with a 4.7-inch display and a larger, 5.5-inch "phablet" variant. Other features rumored to be in the offing are a new, 128-gigabyte capacity version, optical image stabilization, and a faster "A8" CPU.
Comments
Apple isn’t Samsung.
Interesting. I see the white plastic dividers in the outer edge but I do not see any place for glass inserts on the back.
Hard to tell but the power switch does look like it is on the side
The edges of the case do not look rounded like in the mock-ups
The inner surface looks incredibly smooth. Could it be…?
How about all of the above?
It would be unprecedented for all of the items in a highly speculative Apple rumor post to end up being true.
The odds do not favor such an outcome.
Apple isn’t Samsung.
You get points for accuracy, but none for relevance to my comment.
“Apple doesn’t throw a bunch of useless crap into their devices just because they CAN have a bunch of useless crap in their devices. What they put in their devices is given purpose, utility, and integration with the rest of the content thereon. Samsung is incapable of creating a product of that sort, as evidenced by generations of garbage, overloaded with things its users never use, for the sole purpose of increasing the length of their spec sheet.”
In the future, understand the three word version as the above.
It would be unprecedented for all of the items in a highly speculative Apple rumor post to end up being true.
The odds do not favor such an outcome.
No reason why there can't be multiple purposes for the cut-out, but you're probably right about ALL of them.
I wish the noise about a 5.5" version would stop until such time that we actually see even a single part leak that would support an iPhone in that size. So far, the rumor is very weak.
Shogun,
I noticed that too. Maybe this is the year Liquidmetal is finally going to be utilized in an iPhone chassis!
WhooooHooooo
I'd like to go back in time and "discourage" whoever coined the term "phablet" from doing so. It's such a bad term to refer to "large smartphone." If anything it should refer to tablets with street cred (phat tablets) or perhaps ironically fashionable tablets (fabulous tablets). Or how about we just stop using the term all together? Thanks in advance.
Stamping wouldn't give you the screw mounting locations common to iPhone designs and seen in these pictures.
AppleInsider will keep the expectation alive, so that Apple can "disappoint" fandroids who claim to want one.
It's an important function of the rumor mill to keep rumors alive without evidence.
Fandroid response? "No 5.5" iPhone? I won't buy. Sorry, Apple, you just lost another customer." Samsung rulez!
It could be a common zinc or aluminum die casting. Zinc can do really interesting thin wall sections but it is a heavy metal.
I spent the first few years of my work life in the zinc die casting industry and seen some really amazing things cast with that material. It is also highly recyclable. The problem is it is heavy compared to aluminum. There are also zinc and aluminum alloys out there. The problem with most aluminum die casting allows is that you can't do the thin cross sections well. At least not back in my youth with the aluminum allows available at the time. This is why I'm wondering about Liquid Metal.
A die casting would still require post molding machining to tap holes and the like. However that CNC work would be far less than milling a phone from a plate of aluminum. Apple could make use of self tapping screws and other fastening methods to reduce CNC machining even further.
Die casting was an interesting business, too bad much of that business went to China.
It was published, but because of the flack received by the site who showed it, AppleInsider opted not to contribute to that hrang-a-thon. But to add fuel to that fire, here is the "Fugly Jock Strap" rear view.
As has been suggested elsewhere on the blogosphere this is possibly one of those Chinese knockoffs that appeared in the Rumor Arena last week.