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Claimed iPhone 6S schematic matches our report of minimal exterior changes

Engadget Japan has shown a purported schematic of the iPhone 6S which it attributes to a reliable source in the Chinese supply chain. While the diagram does not appear to have originated from Apple, the design and marked dimensions are consistent with casing photos we obtained from a proven source.

We noted that any change in thickness was imperceptible, and the thickness marked on the schematic is 7.1mm – just 0.2mm thicker than the iPhone 6, and the exact same thickness as the iPhone 6 Plus. This also matches (within 0.03mm) that shown in a drawing we reported earlier … 

With the design unchanged, and a minimal change in the depth of the phone, it’s likely that almost all existing cases will fit the new model. Our earlier report noted that the antenna lines are still present, though Apple does appear to be exploring the possibility of removing them for later models.

Check out our earlier piece for a full gallery of the casing photos.

Via Business Insider

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Comments

  1. 89p13 - 9 years ago

    I have to think – if it were possible – that Steve Jobs is spinning in his grave!

    All these leaks, so far in advance, of the product’s “official announcement” and show.

    I, for one, ma happy with all the advance hype.

  2. applegetridofsimandjack - 9 years ago

    My name says it but I would like to say it as well.

    Apple should ditch the Jack output and the sim card tray. I am pretty certain they are working on getting government approvals to kill the sim card. The benefits of ditching the sim card tray are obvious. It would result in either a thinner device or a device with improved battery life.

    Same goes for the jack output. These days people are getting more and more interested in wireless headphones. But because those are expensive some people still prefer headphones with a wire. But Apple has already proven they could use the lightning port for this. Besides the audio quality through the lightning port is even better. I really believe Apple is considering this… Because they already killed almost every port in the Macbook 2015.

    I would really love to see an iPhone 7 without a sim card tray, jack output, home button.

    Imagine if Apple were to ditch all 3 of those. It would result in a thinner device, improved batter life, smaller phone because of smaller bezels… I really hope those days aren’t too far away.

    • uniszuurmond - 9 years ago

      I mostly agree with your thinking. The one thing I am not sure about, is whether they’ll stick to Lightning or move to USB-C.

      See, if we agree that the audio jack is becoming extinct, it would have made more sense to have a second USB-C in the MacBook, rather than an audio jack. I think this may very well be what we’ll see in the next iteration of the MacBook.

      So, if the MacBook AND the iPhone 7 then have no audio jack, it would make sense if they both had the same port: USB-C. You then could have a USB-C headphone you can use on both devices (or a Bluetooth one, as you’ve mentioned).

      • ALL ports are becoming extinct. Many hard drives are wireless/cloud systems now. There was just a report today about new technology using wifi/radio waves to wirelessly charge devices. Nobody will need ports in a few years, except for the dinosaurs who are afraid to embrace technology and move forward.

    • Contrary to what you might think, Apple haven’t got the clout to get rid of sim cards. To do so would need a consortium of technology firms, the backing of governments around the world who are willing to abandon a technology which has 25 years of infrastructure built around it, communication firms who are willing to put up with the cost of changing the infrastructure, and then customers who are then willing to pick up the cost of this new technology. All because Apple want to make their iPhone thinner…..

      • iluvappleblog - 9 years ago

        Contrary to ur thinking, if the SIM goes extinct it would not really need a new infrastructure. Remember that a SIM is just some chip built onto a card, this can be built-in inside the phone which will significantly free up lot of space. The only downside for carriers is that the won’t be able to lock in consumers to use their network as they could easily swop to another just like that. This is the reason that they don’t support built in sim. With Apple introducing an Apple sim, they are slowing changing mind sets for the simless phones.

    • TfT_02 - 9 years ago

      Not sure what is wrong with the home button… I’m pretty sure that is a keeper. Especially now with Touch-ID. Why would you love to see an iPhone 7 without a home button?

      • applegetridofsimandjack - 9 years ago

        I forgot to mention this but I would of course never want to give up Touch ID for a smaller overall phone. No. I am thinking that in the future, Apple will implement fingerprint detection in the display itself. But I would never want to give up Touch ID, it’s even more important to me than the display itself :p lol.

        So I think Apple will kill the home button when displays will have the ability to detect fingerprints and be as, if not more accurate than the current Touch ID.

  3. Cory Nardecchia - 9 years ago

    I mean, Steve would be rolling in his grave about the “camera bump” on the 6… but for the leaks? Uhhh are we forgetting about the iPhone 4 left at a bar incident?

    • vandiced - 9 years ago

      Are you psychic? How would you know anything anout Steve?

    • rogifan - 9 years ago

      You do realize that the iPod touch released in 2012 had a camera bump. Surely that device was already in the pipeline before Jobs died. Also Jobs approved the antenna lines on the iPhone 4 which so many people called un-Apple like when it first leaked in 2010.

    • You know what, I’ve had my iPhone 6 a month, and have NEVER noticed the camera bump, and now I have. And it makes not one jot of difference – the phone is still beautiful.

      • uniszuurmond - 9 years ago

        And I have not liked the bump ever since I got mine, nor the random position from the corner (off radius, over the antenna line). I guess my standards are higher, the very reason I (used to) choose Apple over others.

      • Ah right, so because I don’t mind the bump (and you hate it), and you don’t like the random position from the corner, it automatically makes your standards higher than everyone else’s is that right?

        You got OCD, a Feng Shui fetish or delusions of grandeur bro? You decide.

  4. BD1 (@bdtrader) - 9 years ago

    Does the very slight increase in thickness mean the camera will be flush with the body now?

    • No, the camera protrudes more, the iPhone is about 7.7mm thick at the protrusion, but by thinning the camera to 7.1mm and by adding 0.2mm to the body, they could compromise the optics a bit and make it flush.

      If this happens (and I hope it does), I would kill for keeping the camera at an 8 MP count. Increasing to 12 while thinning the optics sounds like a bad idea.

  5. TfT_02 - 9 years ago

    NEWS FLASH! iPhone 7S’ exterior will be near identical to the exterior of the iPhone 7!

  6. Zack C. - 9 years ago

    I would agree with most of what you say but doing away with the headphone jack will be a big mistake, at least for some people. For one, that would mean a completely different type of accessories that would need to a lighting connector to work. I mean thanks but that’s just backward and inconvenient. Also, what would happen if I want to listen to music while my phone is charging? would I have to adjust to not doing that? at least having built-in wireless charging would be a good alternative.

  7. sar2607 - 9 years ago

    I know this is wishful thinking, but I’ll ask anyways.

    Are there ANY reports of Apple going back to the 4 inch phone? Doesn’t look like it with the 6S, but any rumours/reports of that happening next year? with the iphone 7? I know it’s still too early to say, but I’m just hoping they keep a 4 inch model as an option in the future as well, otherwise I for one will honestly have to consider an android phone…

    • TfT_02 - 9 years ago

      Maybe they’ll upgrade the iPhone 5c to an iPhone 6c. Would kind-of make sense to keep an 4 inch model in their lineup.

      • sar2607 - 9 years ago

        meh not a fan of the 5c. If they do as you suggest, the 6c will be a mediocre version of the 6S. In my opinion, the 5c a very arrogant product from apple to sell, its simply not justified for the price.

        Anyways this is all just hypothetical talk. We’ll just have to wait and see what happens. I’ll just have to try and stretch out the life of my current iphone for as long as possible ;)

  8. Jeff Price (@jkprice) - 9 years ago

    Why is the top drawing identical to the bottom. I don’t think this is real. A normal industrial drawing like this would show each face of the device once. Why would it show the bottom of the phone twice with no differences.

  9. I wish they would increase the resolution of 6 plus. High end Android phones seem to have better clarity and resolution.

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Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Ben Lovejoy

Ben Lovejoy is a British technology writer and EU Editor for 9to5Mac. He’s known for his op-eds and diary pieces, exploring his experience of Apple products over time, for a more rounded review. He also writes fiction, with two technothriller novels, a couple of SF shorts and a rom-com!


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