iPhone 5 may have metal case, larger display

By on Mar 18, 2011 at 9:44 AM
mobile March 18, 2011

A new report emerged on Thursday that resurrects earlier rumors of a larger display on the upcoming iPhone 5, as well as a full circle return to the sleek metal case of days past. The Apple aficionados at 9to5 Mac claim to have a solid source at Foxconn, the Chinese manufacturer responsible for building the iPhone, who claims iPhone 5 production is getting under way. Considering the next iPhone is expected to launch in June, this would certainly make sense. The mole reiterates earlier rumors that the iPhone 5 features two main design changes compared to the iPhone 4: a larger display and a metal case back. Other than that, the source suggests that the iPhone 5 looks much like the current model. Some have argued that the metal case on Apple’s original iPhone caused signal attenuation issues, but now that the company’s unique new external antenna design has been sprinkled with a dash of reality distortion, antenna attenuation and dropped calls are features, not bugs. Should it choose to continue utilizing the current design, Apple could use any materials it wants since the user’s hand does the attenuating, not the case.

Note that the image above shows a metal-look case back accessory for the iPhone 4, not a device claimed to be the iPhone 5.

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  • dwinsmith

    I would love curved metal like the iPad 2 or the original.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_2BNOIBHBFICJEAPJLGHKK3WHPE DADDY WARBUCKS

    sold my htc evo from sprint and went with an iphone 4……the iphone destroys the evo and android in every way.

    also the iphone 4 retains its value so much better

    i cant wait for a 4″ iphone screen

  • Ayport

    I like with less metal on a gadget that has up to 4 radios

  • Petey

    I wished they also added AWS bands so T-Mobile can also take advantage of it and carry it.

  • Kent

    I wouldn’t be surprised if it ships early or on time (i.e. on or before the June release last year). Apple knows the competitive field is much more crowded and this will cause them to be more responsive. This is really a win/win for everybody. I’ve never understood this Android/Apple “deep” animosity thing. What is the problem here? This is capitalism at its best where companies are working hard to please the consumers with the best products. The innovation in this field over the last several years has been stunning. We just need to sit back and let them compete for our dollars.

  • Nofanofdeb

    Larger, or simply longer? (I know, making it longer IS a way of making it bigger)

  • http://twitter.com/gnomehole The Gnome

    I like the glass.

    If the display is bigger do it without making the device bigger. Nobody needs a bag phone sized phone like some of the Android devices – holy crap are they unnecessarily big. People don’t even realize how dumb that looks.

    • You are a tool

      No one gives a shit about how it looks you pretentious prick.

      Do you drive your BMW while sipping a cup of Starbucks with the label facing out so everyone can see how cool and trendy you are?

  • carlos.gomez@______.com

    While we fight, moan and cry over this whole apple vs. android nonesense there’s someone laughing, sitting on twice a millon $ or more… the vzw CEO himself Mr. Dan Meade oh and did I mention 4G LTE and the full line up of droids that will drop from now until 2012, sigghhhh pure insanity! I’ll keep my home rodary phone! the battery never dies lol.

  • RH

    Is apple designing the “new” iphones similar to what moto did with the Razr line?
    The difference is, the apple fanboys will line up to buy them year after year.

  • Anonymous

    Liquid Metal anyone?

  • Musaji

    Actually, I have decided (as a current droid owner), that when IPhone 5 comes out, I will finally jump ship. I have enough of experiementation and needs something that is simple and just works. Thats apple for me.

  • Drew

    The engineers can make it work, Jobs wants it to look pretty… Engineers knew of potential problems but Steve pushed ahead anyway (and put to market a problematic device). Ran the Senior VP of hardware engineering (an excuse to cover up his bad decision) out of a job and hired more antenna engineers.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_RHC6PS4UAVOPA4ROJOGVOO76AU Will

    I already have this back on my phone bought it from China

  • http://twitter.com/Darkcloud25 Cloud San

    wait didn’t most of you just upgrade to the iphone 4 with a 2 year contract so you all are ready to go spend full price or open another line does to have the new iphone 5 omg you pple are on crack man. w/e this is too funny just like the ipad 3 thats in the works for next summer that im sure you all are going to get even tho you just bought an ipad 2. if there isn’t a apple fan that doesn’t see that apple is milking you all for your hard eared money then disregard anything i just said because all you will see is hate hate hate someone kill thats none apple fan. so when apple makes this iphone 5 that the summer after that year im sure a iphone 6 would be in the works i bet you all still wouldn’t care. i mean money is nothing to me but i just wont keep buying the same device every year because of a slight upgrade that should have been on the 2nd or 3rd. im done this is sad i like my gadgets but this is sad

  • Anonymous

    So why is APPLE going back to metal? Did they finally realize that their Iphone 4 breaks with using glass unibody

    • Anonymous

      Glad unibody?! The front and back plates are glass ya… But apple will replace a broken, more fragile back glass for $30.

  • Betelgeuse Orion

    unless the back is tungsten carbide or DLC coated, its going to scratch like a mofo,

    either way probably wouldnt get it, i dont want to “sync” my phone to anything, especially being locked down to 1 computer, what kind of shortbus rehab idea is that? my android phone can just show up like a removable drive on any computer and i do what i want.

    even WP7′s can just drag and drop things to and from any computer (zune installed of course)

  • Anonymous

    Next year — tail fins!

  • noone

    Foxconn is a Taiwanese company from Taiwan, it is not a Chinese company.
    I am glad the iphone is getting a bigger screen. Good news!

  • http://twitter.com/Nichayada Nichayada

    :-)

  • Spartantnoah

    I think we cal all agree that Androids have a much more stable operating system with its third part applications running.

  • Annonymous

    I hope I can slam the iPhone infinite times without breaking or damaging the iPhone…

  • Fhesuif

    bullshit. its an iphone 4 just changed back cover. can be done in 2 minutes )

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