Supposedly leaked Apple documents peg three iPhones for release in 2017, top model codenamed 'Ferra.

AppleInsiderAppleInsider
Posted:
in iPhone edited December 2016
A pair of purported Apple manufacturing documents leaked to the web on Tuesday appears to confirm rumors that 2017 will bring three models market, including a completely redesigned high-end variant codenamed "Ferrari."




Surfaced by a Sina Weibo user known for leaking information from Apple's East Asian supply chain, the supposed documentation suggests Apple plans to market three iPhone models designated D20, D21 and D22 in 2017, reports Chinese blog cnBeta. Apple's iPhone 7 and 7 Plus were codenamed D10 and -- confusingly -- D20 during development, the report said.

A three-model lineup jibes with rumors that Apple intends to launch two upgraded iPhone 7 models, likely branded "iPhone 7s" and "iPhone 7s Plus," alongside a high-end version stuffed with exotic technology. This top-tier model, expected to boast a glass sandwich design, borderless OLED display, "invisible" home button, wireless charging and more, carries the internal codename "Ferrari," according to today's leaks.

Beyond its enticing name, "Ferrari" will sport a large AMOLED panel crammed into a handset form factor largely unchanged from current models, allowing for a near edge-to-edge experience, the documents suggest. The rumor is in line with predictions from KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who in November forecast Apple to employ a 5.1- or 5.2-inch OLED screen sourced from Samsung.

"Ferrari" is also expected to come with a substantial internal redesign that breaks the logic board into two discrete units connected by a flex cable, the report said. The first board will carry iPhone's operating guts like the expected "A11" SoC and NAND flash storage, as a communications package with Wi-Fi and cellular components lives on a second board.

According to the leaker, Apple is considering relocating the SIM card tray toward the bottom of the handset to make room for internal components, akin to current iPad Pro layouts.

Today's "iPhone 8" rumors add to mounting speculation over the next-generation smartphone. Most recently, reports claimed next year's high-end model will use OLED panels mounted on plastic, suggesting the screen might be curved.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 46
    mac_128mac_128 Posts: 3,454member
    A SIM card completely defeats such a design, but I suppose there's no way around it, especially in a premium phone unless all of the carriers worldwide get onboard with a software sim.
    ireland
  • Reply 2 of 46
    analogjackanalogjack Posts: 1,073member
    Maybe Vanguard would be more appropriate than Ferrari 
  • Reply 3 of 46
    nhtnht Posts: 4,522member
    Copies 1-25 has the sim port at the top.  Copies 26-50 has the sim port on the bottom.
    Odd numbered copies have the code name Ferrari
    Even  numbered copies have the code name Lamborghini
    etc.

    Hey look, our leaker is this guy.  Well that probelm solved.

    cornchip
  • Reply 4 of 46
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,035member
    nht said:
    Copies 1-25 has the sim port at the top.  Copies 26-50 has the sim port on the bottom.
    Odd numbered copies have the code name Ferrari
    Even  numbered copies have the code name Lamborghini
    etc.

    Hey look, our leaker is this guy.  Well that probelm solved.
    That's still only 4 different options, right, because copy 1, 3, 5, etc. are all the same? How about you just just a slightly different kerning on a word or slight shift or size in one of the diagrams in relation to another. You than have a near infinite number of options that you probably couldn't even see with a naked eye, but could be a single pixel off.
  • Reply 5 of 46
    rogifan_newrogifan_new Posts: 4,297member
    So let me guess...we'll get a 7S and 7S Plus largely unchanged and then a new redesigned more expensive model used for the upsell. Anything to get people to spend more money and drive up ASPs.
    bobrookamiltonboopthesnootanantksundaramnetmageperkedel
  • Reply 6 of 46
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,035member
    So let me guess...we'll get a 7S and 7S Plus largely unchanged and then a new redesigned more expensive model used for the upsell. Anything to get people to spend more money and drive up ASPs.
    If that seems like an obvious tactic then why haven't they done that before? So far, any additional model has been a low-end, as is with the 5C and SE.
    edited December 2016 netmagewatto_cobrabrakkencornchip
  • Reply 7 of 46
    techprod1gytechprod1gy Posts: 838member
    I am not sure I need an edge to edge design...I know years ago this was the dream by some...I was looking at my 7 plus today and love it. Trying to figure out the benefit of edge to edge...I can't see one.
    magman1979netmagewatto_cobracornchip
  • Reply 8 of 46
    jmgregory1jmgregory1 Posts: 474member
    I think this is exactly what people want from Apple - some ultra-high-tech iPhone, even if it's expensive, just to show what's possible when you push the envelope. Risk taking is something that Apple is not doing as well, not having Steve Jobs (the king of risk taking) leading the way and being there to take the heat when something doesn't work.
    rezwitsai46Rayz2016netmagebrakken
  • Reply 9 of 46
    canukstormcanukstorm Posts: 2,700member
    So let me guess...we'll get a 7S and 7S Plus largely unchanged and then a new redesigned more expensive model used for the upsell. Anything to get people to spend more money and drive up ASPs.
    I wasn't expecting anything else. Lines up with Kuo's analysis / prediction.
    edited December 2016
  • Reply 10 of 46
    StrangeDaysStrangeDays Posts: 12,877member
    rogifan_new said:
    So let me guess...we'll get a 7S and 7S Plus largely unchanged and then a new redesigned more expensive model used for the upsell. Anything to get people to spend more money and drive up ASPs.
    How do you mean unchanged? Which years previously have the S models been largely "unchanged"?
    Solipscooter63chianetmagewatto_cobrabrakken
  • Reply 11 of 46
    StrangeDaysStrangeDays Posts: 12,877member

    jmgregory1 said:
    I think this is exactly what people want from Apple - some ultra-high-tech iPhone, even if it's expensive, just to show what's possible when you push the envelope. Risk taking is something that Apple is not doing as well, not having Steve Jobs (the king of risk taking) leading the way and being there to take the heat when something doesn't work.
    Tell that to all the people complaining about them removing the legacy 3.5mm audio jack in the iPhone. Or removing the legacy USB ports in the MBP. Or launching a $20,000 gold watch. Seems like risk-taking to me?
    vahancouverai46magman1979pscooter63Rayz2016chiamike1netmagebadmonkwatto_cobra
  • Reply 12 of 46
    rogifan_newrogifan_new Posts: 4,297member
    Soli said:
    So let me guess...we'll get a 7S and 7S Plus largely unchanged and then a new redesigned more expensive model used for the upsell. Anything to get people to spend more money and drive up ASPs.
    If that seems like an obvious tactic then why haven't they done that before? So far, any additional model has been a low-end, as is with the 5C and SE.
    One could argue that's what the Plus is. Same with the iPads Pro. Of course they don't have a completely different aesthetic but they are more expensive. It just seems these days Apple is finding ways to increase prices whereas in the past things like Retina display, Touch ID etc. didn't increase the price of the product. To me the SE is more of an outlier than the norm.
    boopthesnootRayz2016netmage
  • Reply 13 of 46
    rogifan_newrogifan_new Posts: 4,297member

    StrangeDays said:
    rogifan_new said:
    So let me guess...we'll get a 7S and 7S Plus largely unchanged and then a new redesigned more expensive model used for the upsell. Anything to get people to spend more money and drive up ASPs.
    How do you mean unchanged? Which years previously have the S models been largely "unchanged"?
    I mean from an aesthetic point of view. 
    boopthesnootRayz2016netmage
  • Reply 14 of 46
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,035member
    Soli said:
    So let me guess...we'll get a 7S and 7S Plus largely unchanged and then a new redesigned more expensive model used for the upsell. Anything to get people to spend more money and drive up ASPs.
    If that seems like an obvious tactic then why haven't they done that before? So far, any additional model has been a low-end, as is with the 5C and SE.
    One could argue that's what the Plus is. Same with the iPads Pro. Of course they don't have a completely different aesthetic but they are more expensive. It just seems these days Apple is finding ways to increase prices whereas in the past things like Retina display, Touch ID etc. didn't increase the price of the product. To me the SE is more of an outlier than the norm.
    No, you can't argue that the iPhone 6 Plus, 6S Plus, 7 Plus is a "redesigned" option over the iPhone 6, 6S, and 7.
    netmage
  • Reply 15 of 46
    asdasdasdasd Posts: 5,686member
    rogifan_new said:
    So let me guess...we'll get a 7S and 7S Plus largely unchanged and then a new redesigned more expensive model used for the upsell. Anything to get people to spend more money and drive up ASPs.
    Maybe keep ASPs where they are. That is have a price reduction on the 7s models, even more on the 6s (or 7) they keep around and Jack up the top end so it is all even. 
    1983watto_cobra
  • Reply 16 of 46
    macplusplusmacplusplus Posts: 2,112member
    techprod1gy said:
    I am not sure I need an edge to edge design...I know years ago this was the dream by some...I was looking at my 7 plus today and love it. Trying to figure out the benefit of edge to edge...I can't see one.
    Edge to edge can't be. The experiment is there: Xiaomi MiMix. They had to keep one of the bezels to place the front camera. So at least one bezel is required. The second bezel too is required for gaming in landscape mode. Philippe Starck has completely ignored the gamers in his avant-garde design. One cannot play games with that thing, kids will hate it.
    magman1979
  • Reply 17 of 46
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,035member
    I am not sure I need an edge to edge design...I know years ago this was the dream by some...I was looking at my 7 plus today and love it. Trying to figure out the benefit of edge to edge...I can't see one.
    Edge to edge can't be. The experiment is there: Xiaomi MiMix. They had to keep one of the bezels to place the front camera. So at least one bezel is required. The second bezel too is required for gaming in landscape mode. Philippe Starck has completely ignored the gamers in his avant-garde design. One cannot play games with that thing, kids will hate it.
    When people say "edge to edge" I assume they mean the sides, and are not talking about the so-called chin and forehead, which people also want reduced or removed.
    edited December 2016 ai46netmage
  • Reply 18 of 46
    eriamjheriamjh Posts: 1,642member
    rogifan_new said:
    I mean from an aesthetic point of view. 
    Why do you care so much about what the phone looks like when it is OFF?  Don't you look at the screen?  

    Since when is the shape of the phone anything important?  It's not the package, it's the contents!
    StrangeDaysai46Rayz2016netmage
  • Reply 19 of 46
    asdasdasdasd Posts: 5,686member
    eriamjh said:
    rogifan_new said:
    I mean from an aesthetic point of view. 
    Why do you care so much about what the phone looks like when it is OFF?  Don't you look at the screen?  

    Since when is the shape of the phone anything important?  It's not the package, it's the contents!
    Of course it's the package as well. That's why they have industrial designers. 
    1983[Deleted User]cornchip
  • Reply 20 of 46
    macplusplusmacplusplus Posts: 2,112member
    eriamjh said:
    rogifan_new said:
    I mean from an aesthetic point of view. 
    Why do you care so much about what the phone looks like when it is OFF?  Don't you look at the screen?  

    Since when is the shape of the phone anything important?  It's not the package, it's the contents!
    Since it slips from your hand and drops on the concrete. This is the package that defines the contents, and the usability that defines the package. This doesn't mean aesthetics necessarily. The protruding camera and the horrible plastic bands of the 6 series have nothing to do with aesthetics, or aesthetics has a different meaning in industrial design compared to layman's understanding.
    raptoroo7
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