The iPhone repair site, iResQ, has leaked photos of, what they claim to be, the faceplate of Apple’s upcoming 4th generation iPhone. According to the site, the front panel of the phone is approximately 1/4 of an inch taller than that of the iPhone 3GS. The screen is also longer, but exact measurements are not given. In addition, there seems to be some sort of “reflective, mirror-like surface” that sits right above the speaker. It’s unclear what purpose this will serve, but iResQ postulates that it could be for the proximity sensor.
The site also notes that the LCD is “factory glued to the digitizer,” similar to the first generation iPhone. This will make screen repairs pricier due to the need to replace two parts instead of one. No other hardware details are available at this time.
From left to right, you have the iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, and the iPhone 4G front panel
On the left, the iPhone 3GS front panel. On the right, the iPhone 4G front panel assembly. Note the difference in length and the reflective surface above the speaker, presumably for the proximity sensor
On the left, the iPhone 3GS front panel. On the right, the iPhone 4G front panel assembly. Note the difference in length and the reflective surface above the speaker, presumably for the proximity sensor
Only a day before the Apple iPad announcement, pictures of the iPad leaked onto the Internet and gave users an idea of what Steve Jobs will be showing on announcement day. Now, questions about the iPhone sitting ontop of the iPad appear to be raising questions, was this the first image of the iPhone 4th gen? via Engadget.com.
The anonymous source shows off a prototype image of the 4th generation iPhone, still untitled and no details of which new features it will bring. The leaked images of the iPhone are shown to be taken in the same work station as the iPad photos last week, sitting on top of the casing that held in the iPad.
The 4th generation iPhone appears to be wrapped in a rubber casing with the connect to iTunes screen. There also appears to be a white mark beside the ear piece of the phone, which could just possibly be a reflection, dirt, or possible a front facing camera.
Images courtesy of Appleinsider.com via Engadget.com
Bloomberg is reporting that Apple’s upcoming fourth-generation iPhone may have a “touch-sensitive casing.” Much like Apple’s Magic Mouse, the phone’s body may support finger movements for actions such as scrolling, zooming, and other useful navigation. “‘Apple’s going to put a lot of innovation, not just on the hardware, but also on the software of the new iPhone,’ said Taipei-based Chen, a member of Asia’s top-ranked technology hardware research team. The handset will feature a new plastic casing similar to that used for Apple’s touch-panel Magic Mouse released last year, he said.”
Chen also re-affirmed the public that the next iPhone will go into production as early as April, and be available to the general public in June or July. He also hinted at an updated version of the iPhone OS and an overhauled App Store. However, no further details were given.
Assuming Chen is right, Apple has sure held back a lot of juicy details from the public (and we expect nothing less). If the next iPhone does, indeed, have this new body, it would not only make sense, but it would also allude to the fact that AT&T is still a big part of the picture. Just this past week, AT&T announced their upcoming, Android based, Motorola Backflip phone. This is the first phone to have a touch sensitive gesture area built into the body. This would make AT&T the only carrier with, not one, but two gesture body enabled phones. Perhaps this means that the new gesture body was AT&T’s idea. This would further add creditability to Chen’s iPhone claims.
