“With the glossy jet black iPhone 7 leading the way in sales, Apple is expected to switch to a more scratch-resistant all-glass finish for the front and back of a 2017 iPhone redesign, with stainless steel edges, rather than aluminum, for premium models,” Neil Hughes reports for AppleInsider. “Expectations for Apple’s 2017 iPhone lineup were shared on Thursday by analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities, in a research note. Kuo said that preorders for the iPhone 7 show the jet black model accounting for as many as 35 percent of all sales, despite the fact that it is limited to higher-capacity, more expensive models.”
“Given that the iPhone 7 series marks the first time Apple has differentiated design based on capacity, limiting the glossy jet black option to 128- and 256-gigabyte models, he believes the company may push further in that direction in 2017, with a new stainless steel frame,” Hughes reports. “The KGI analyst believes all 2017 iPhone models, in both the 4.7- and 5.5-inch sizes, will feature a glass chassis. Previously, his supply chain sources suggested the glass front and back would be limited to the larger Plus model, but the popularity of the jet black iPhone 7 may have prompted the company to revise its strategy.
Hughes reports, “It’s been suggested that the next iPhone will be a complete redesign with an edge-to-edge OLED display, concealing the home button, Touch ID fingerprint sensor, earpiece and FaceTime camera beneath the screen.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: “Glass” as in Gorilla glass or is it bulk metallic glass (as in: Liquidmetal) or both?
The timeframe would be right for Apple to begin using Liquidmetal in earnest.
I estimate that Apple will likely spend on the order of $300 million to $500 million — and three to five years — to mature the technology before it can used in large scale. — Dr. Atakan Peker, one of the Caltech researchers who invented Liquidmetal, May 2012
SEE ALSO:
Apple supplier Catcher CEO: One iPhone model will adopt glass casing next year – May 19, 2016
Apple granted key U.S patent for Touch ID fingerprint recognition integrated into Multi-Touch display – May 18, 2016
Apple supplier LG Innotek embeds fingerprint sensor into display – May 4, 2016
Why the 2017 iPhone will be made of Liquidmetal – April 18, 2016
Ming-Chi Kuo: Apple’s 2017 iPhone to feature new ‘all glass’ enclosure – April 18, 2016
Professor behind Liquidmorphium Turing Phone invests in Liquidmetal, named to Board, enters into cross-licensing agreement – March 14, 2016
3D fingerprint sensors under Gorilla Glass may let Apple kill iPhone’s Home button – July 21, 2015
The Turing Phone is not made out of Liquidmetal – July 15, 2015
Why does Apple keep extending their partnership with Liquidmetal? – June 25, 2015
Apple extends Liquidmetal exclusivity deal through February 2016 – June 23, 2015
Apple working on eliminating the Home button on iPhone, iPad, sources say – June 22, 2015
Two new Liquidmetal patent filings from Apple revealed; list watch and jewelry among potential uses – April 23, 2015
Apple files for patent to move Touch ID fingerprint scanner from home button to display – February 9, 2015
Liquidmetal’s Apple alliance yet to bear fruit – September 30, 2014
Apple’s new Liquidmetal-related patent sparks speculation – July 7, 2014
Apple patents method for embedding sapphire displays in LiquidMetal device chassis – May 27, 2014
Liquidmetal-Visser agreement paves the way for more rapid adoption of amorphous metal manufacturing – May 21, 2014
Apple extends Liquidmetal exclusivity deal through February 2015 – May 21, 2014
I know about the hell customers had with the iPhone 4 series, but frankly the 4/4s were my favorite design, look and feel. I never broke any glass and I was careful as all I could be. Also my 4/4s phones were the most naked of them all. Beauties.
True, but it was EXTREMELY heavy for its size. Glass adds weight- unless it will be liquid metal, this news is disappointing…
Apple stopped using Gorilla Glass already starting with iPhone 6s: since then Cornig is just contractor manufacturer just like TSMC, LG Display, Foxconn, et cetera.
According to the analyst, the frame will be either of aluminium for normal models or of steel for pricier models with higher capacity of permanent memory (128 or 256 GB).
It would be great to have LM instead of steel, but this analytic report does not mention that. Though it would be even way more pricier since LM is (non-translucent) alloy that consists of metals that cost five times more than aluminium or steel.
As the practice of iPhone 4/s shows, steel is excellent for durability — comparing to aluminium that gets scratched relatively easily and can not be polished at home. However, it is so damn heavy, so I wish Apple would finally be able to use. But since even this Kuo person does not mention that, I doubt it will come.
MDN doesn’t own a truckload of LQMT, do ya? 😜
Actually the iPhone 3G was the first phone to offer an exclusive colour based on capacity. The white option was reserved for 16GB (which was th highest at the time). The write should do a little more research.
I’ve always wondered why this vid for metal ball bounce comparison would be relevant to use for the applications that Apple will put it to. The liquid metal will probably be rather thin and perhaps be much less dent resistant but still cause the same harm to the internal components as Titanium or Stainless Steel when dropped. By the explanation given in the vid it’s possible that since less energy is absorbed by liquid metal more impact energy is passed through. Similar to those newton’s cradle toys. Now that I wrote that I wonder how cool a liquid metal version of that toy would be. 😀
leave this crap predictions alone…. stop regurgitating..!
its all part of schemes to get attention away from 7… which is an awesome phone !