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KGI: Apple to drop aluminum iPhone casing in 2017 in favor of new ‘all glass’ enclosure with AMOLED screen

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In a new report by KGI’s Ming-Chi Kuo, the reliable Apple analyst claims that the iPhone will be seeing a major redesign in 2017, dropping the iconic aluminum casing for an all-glass enclosure with AMOLED screen. This follows on from another of Kuo’s reports in late March, where he first suggested Apple will return to an iPhone design akin to the iPhone 4. It does not seem like the iPhone 7 for 2016 will be seeing such a major overhaul, breaking Apple’s tick-tock pattern of a significant chassis redesign every other generation.

Kuo believes that Apple will be moving to an all-glass enclosure, dropping aluminum completely as it will no longer appear modern or fresh in 2017. Apple’s smartphone competitors are also adopting aluminum designs in droves, making it more likely Apple will want to differentiate with entirely new materials.

Kuo does not elaborate on how Apple will make the next iPhone entirely out of glass, so currently the specifics of the drastic redesign will have to be left to the imagination. Apple used glass for the iPhone 4/4s front and back, but this was sandwiched together with a stainless steel band. It’s currently unclear how an iPhone could be constructed primarily out of glass.

The new glass phone will also feature a new AMOLED display panel, which will be thinner and lighter to compensate for the slight weight increase of glass compared with metal exteriors. Kuo does not believe that drop test issues will be a roadblock in Apple’s decision making, given the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4s already relied heavily on glass front and back. Last week, Apple reportedly reached a $2.6 billion agreement with Samsung to supply OLED panels for iPhone displays.

It definitely seems like Apple is saving a major new iPhone form factor for 2017, which leaves Apple’s 2016 iPhone 7 refresh somewhat in question. Leaks to date have shown very modest changes for the iPhone 7, with a design largely the same as the existing iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus models. It certainly looks like Apple’s next big refresh for the iPhone will not come to light this year, perhaps earlier in 2017 if not the fall. So far, the biggest new thing for the iPhone 7 appears to be the addition of a dual-camera for better pictures, although rumors have indicated this will be exclusive to the 5.5 inch iPhone 7 Plus.

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Comments

  1. Marc Orcutt - 8 years ago

    What sense does this make? 2016 brings us the iPhone 7, so 2017 would be the S version release, unless Apple changes its pattern. The S series releases are the same form factor external design as the major model.

    • shareef777 - 8 years ago

      Supposedly the iPhone 7 will keep the same design as the 6/6s so who knows where Apple is going with these designs.

      • Jon Grant - 8 years ago

        Surely this means it won’t be the iPhone 7.

      • lellis2k - 8 years ago

        I think they’ll go iPhone 7 then iPhone 8, skipping the S and hopefully making more people upgrade twice

      • Certainly if you’d been paying attentions it’s Apple’s intention to drop the numbers from the names of their products. They will call it the iPhone. and iPhone Plus.
        This is what they’ve done with the iPad Pros, the MacBook and I’ll bet soon with the iPhone.

      • samuelsnay - 8 years ago

        Which is a huge disappointment for those of us on the non-S cycle. iPhone sales have already been a disappointment this year. Don’t expect them to get better next year if this is true, IMO.

      • Cayden (@iiTerminux) - 8 years ago

        The iPhone SE launched this year, so I think the next iPhone will drop early 2017. I hope it does to be honest, I just got the iPhone 6s. And one more question, what’s the difference between the iPhone 6s+ and the iPhone 6s? I didn’t buy the iPhone 6S+ because it was way to big.

      • dcj001 - 8 years ago

        samuelsnay – 14 hours ago
        “Which is a huge disappointment for those of us on the non-S cycle. iPhone sales have already been a disappointment this year. Don’t expect them to get better next year if this is true, IMO.”

        Your thoughts are complete speculation.

        You have no idea what is coming from Apple in the future.

      • Arcendus - 8 years ago

        @dcj001

        Um. That’s very good, dcj001. Thoughts are typically a form of speculation. While you’re at it, it might be worth pointing out that grass is typically green and the sky is typically blue.

        You have communicated, essentially, nothing at all.

      • realgurahamu - 8 years ago

        @cayden the regular 6s has a lower resolution, DPI and smaller battery

    • o0smoothies0o - 8 years ago

      2017 is the 10th anniversary of the iPhone.

      • Untitled (@Untitled_007) - 8 years ago

        I don’t get it. So next year is the 10th anniversary of the iPhone, but this year’s iPhone will be Apple’s 10th iPhone?
        iPhone 2G, 3G, 3GS, 4, 4S, 5, 5S, 6, 6S, 7. So next year’s iPhone will be their 11th iPhone? Would Apple put the new design on the 10th iPhone, or the 10th anniversary iPhone? :O

      • Untitled (@Untitled_007) - 8 years ago

        I don’t get it. So next year is the 10th anniversary of the iPhone, but this year’s iPhone will be Apple’s 10th iPhone?
        iPhone 2G, 3G, 3GS, 4, 4S, 5, 5S, 6, 6S, 7. So next year’s iPhone will be their 11th iPhone? Would Apple put the new design on the 10th iPhone, or the 10th anniversary iPhone? :O

      • o0smoothies0o - 8 years ago

        The 10th iPhone has precisely no meaning, whereas 10 years or a decade or the 10th anniversary of the iPhone existing, has significant meaning. The iPhone was one of the biggest technological advancements in history and it will be remembered for that, so yeah.

      • Thomas Boles - 8 years ago

        @Unintitled_007 You have to look at the iPhone 2G starting at year 0, 3G at year 1, so the 10th anniversary iPhone would be the 11th iPhone.

    • twelve01 - 8 years ago

      Think outside of the box

    • smartysanky - 8 years ago

      May be, they’ll do what they did with iPad. The All New iPhone!!!!

      • o0smoothies0o - 8 years ago

        Can’t do that with a device that 70+ million purchase. You need a distinctive name for marketing purposes. Macs get away with simply the name because when someone purchases a Mac they aren’t purchasing a new one for probably 4-6 years later and thus, numbering them wouldn’t help anyone. Also Macs primarily don’t change anything but speed for years.

    • srgmac - 8 years ago

      IMHO the aluminum iPhones are not as good as the glass ones. I’ve always thought the 4 was the best design possible.
      I had no dents no dings no scratches at ALL on my iPhone 4…plus it was really stunning to look at.
      If this rumor is true this is great.

      • o0smoothies0o - 8 years ago

        The 4/4s were the best designs aesthetically, and I don’t see how anyone could disagree there.

    • kunjan11 - 8 years ago

      It’s okay… Don’t be so disappointed… Switch to the best… Switch to Android… :-D

  2. xoFoxtail - 8 years ago

    Will this make it heavier?

    • o0smoothies0o - 8 years ago

      AMOLED will reduce the weight signifanctly, so it will probably be lighter even considering the case will be heavier.

      There are 2 main reasons AMOLED will greatly reduce the weight: it will no longer have a backlight, and the sensor array which caused great weight increase for 3D Touch will be a completely different system because it uses the backlight, which there will no longer be. The sensor array for 3D Touch will probably be changed to the Apple Watch system or something similar, in that if will use a flexible AMOLED screen to measure 3D Touch input.

    • cjt3007 - 8 years ago

      Did you read the article? “The new glass phone will also feature a new AMOLED display panel, which will be thinner and lighter to compensate for the slight weight increase of glass compared with metal exteriors.”

  3. TykeWilliamsOnSecondLife - 8 years ago

    So after all these years Samsung trying to be Apple, Apple will try to be Samsung with an iS7 wannabe. Good. I actually approve that.

    • Fallenjt JT - 8 years ago

      Apple had glass back iPhone 5 years ago: iPhone 4. If you talk about curve glass, you need to look at Apple patent filed long time ago about edge display on a device.

  4. Steve Grenier - 8 years ago

    The only thing that makes me believe the 2017 iPhone will be more dramatic then have have grown to expect is that it will be its 10th anniversary. It’s strange to imagine the iPhone will have only received modest improvements for 2 years in a row. Seems I may be skipping an upgrade this year.

  5. applegetridofsimandjack - 8 years ago

    All glass? Is that even possible? That would be just wow.

    • Marc Orcutt - 8 years ago

      I think Apple filed a patent years ago for an all glass phone.

    • Rich Davis (@RichDavis9) - 8 years ago

      Yeah, it’s possible, but I don’t think glass is practical. Too many problems with it. It shatters, cracks, gets smudged and it’s slippery, especially when wet.

      • samanthamd - 8 years ago

        Bendgate becomes shattergate.
        On day 1 of release, there will be lots of people trying to bend it just for their 5 seconds of fame.
        On day 2, a phalanx of lawyers will come along touting for clients for their class actions.

        I really hope that apple have considered what the idiot user will do with an all glass phone.

      • People are saying “glass” because they don’t understand the many alternatives. It is most likely that they will use a so called glass-ceramic which has properties of both and can be much tougher than “glass”. An example is the material that induction cooktops are made from. Aluminum or any metal for that matter just has too many limitations in this world of multiple radios in mobile devices because they block radio waves. You need “holes” like the glass windows on the back of the iPhone 4s. Alternatively you need breaks like those ugly lines on the 6 series.

    • o0smoothies0o - 8 years ago

      They could easily make and all glass iPhone by heating the edges and merging them then cooling them, but that results in very difficult repairability. They also have a patent for using a liquid metal band and melding the front and back glass into a groove in it, resulting in a 100% seamless design, which is inherently much more water resistant.

    • dcj001 - 8 years ago

      In oder to innovate, one must not question if something is possible. One must believe that things are possible, and then figure out how to go from point A to point B.

  6. Joseph Castro - 8 years ago

    I feel like this year’s iPhone will be named as iPhone 6S SE.

  7. giuseppe1111 - 8 years ago

    the rendering is pretty ugly…
    takes the worst from iphone 4 (fragility of the rear panel, poor scratch resistance)
    and iphone 6 (rounded edges, like the old samsung devices (s2) had)

    I would prefer satin inox steel, or carbon fiber, or even premium plastic…

    However iphone 7 would be cheaper than the previous generations

    • Rich Davis (@RichDavis9) - 8 years ago

      I think they should use either titanium or magnesium or just go with a good polycarb that has a texture to prevent slippage. The thing I hate about the iPhone 6+ and my iPad is the aluminum is slippery and I think they are actually too thin as it’s hard to grab on to, that’s why I have cases for them.

      I just ordered one of those Gild solid cases, I’ll get it in a couple of weeks and we’ll see how well those work. Touch Of Modern had a sale on them. :-)

      https://www.touchofmodern.com/sales/gild-design-4b59f707-17bf-4d61-b854-cdbc31eb4962

    • srgmac - 8 years ago

      Are you kidding me? I still have my iPhone 4 laying around. There are zero scratches on it…Zero….
      My 5S got scratched within the first month of ownership, and right now has dings ALL around the stupid shiny ring \ edge thing.

  8. it smells like we’ll get an iPhone 6SE this year, instead of the iPhone 7

    • Jon Grant - 8 years ago

      I’ve been saying this for months. All the evidence says it won’t be a new design, so why do we keep calling it the iPhone 7? It’s clearly going to be the iPhone 6SX or SE or whatever.

    • Drew Pitchford - 8 years ago

      iPhone 6t. I don’t like it but it does show a slight iteration.

    • rogifan - 8 years ago

      If Apple is working on a major redesign and it isn’t ready yet then it makes no sense to come up with some interim design just to have something that looks different than the 6S. If someone is looking for a new phone are they really not going to upgrade just because the aesthetic design is similar to the current phone? That’s ridiculous. Outside of people that write for The Verge does anyone really care whether the phone is radically redesigned?

      • o0smoothies0o - 8 years ago

        Everyone cares actually. One of the main things about smartphones is that you get to show them off, especially the iPhone and people want to be seen with the latest phone, and granted a lot of the features are covered by a case, but that still holds true, and anyone that doesn’t know that…

      • Aunty T (@AuntyTroll) - 8 years ago

        “One of the main things about smartphones is that you get to show them off, especially the iPhone…” That’s true. If you haven’t hit puberty yet. Most other people prefer function over form.

        And with regards to your “…and anyone that doesn’t know that….” comment, let me guess the rest of the sentence will be….

        …”are idiots.”
        …”don’t know what they are on about.”
        …”are inferior to me.”

        Do you not get tired of believing that you are superior to everyone else? Have you not realised yet that you actually aren’t?

      • o0smoothies0o - 8 years ago

        @Aunty haha you come make fun of people all the time on here, it’s in fact your only contributing comments. However, you’re entirely wrong that people don’t want to be seen with the latest device. It’s like having a certain hairstyle. Let me guess you’re a rebel that wears 70’s styles though? Haha.

      • PMZanetti - 8 years ago

        Outside of the delusional online blog world…no, no one cares. Not any of the actual people who spend the money.

  9. dComments (@dComments) - 8 years ago

    Does this really matter? Whatever it is, it will need to be in a case so you could make it whatever you want because you’ll never see it. My 6 Plus has never been outside of a case because it is so slippery without it. I can’t justify keeping a fragile, $700 device out in the open like that. Unfortunately, this is an issue with most phones out today.

    • I’ve literally never had a case on my 6… or my 5… or my 4… or my 3G… never once had an issue and I drop my phone several times a week on all kinds of surfaces.

      They make anti-shatter screen protectors for extremely cheap if you’re that worried. These phones are incredibly well made and can withstand normal use. Cases are unnecessary.

  10. rogifan - 8 years ago

    Basically he has no f’ng clue and his imagination goes as far as a Galaxy S 7.

    • o0smoothies0o - 8 years ago

      Except he does and I can’t wait for you to be wrong about him again. Look at his track record.

      • Not that great actually. Nothing compared to Mark Gurman

      • o0smoothies0o - 8 years ago

        Mark Gurman has plenty of accurate info but far closer to launch than this analyst. And yes his track record is satisfactorily accurate. Anyone that looks at his track record and doesn’t immediately know that he has legit sources is lying to themselves.

  11. Jake Becker - 8 years ago

    That would be some true stupidity. Create the most breakable phone ever. And if it’s lucky enough to just get a ding? You get to avoid that part of the phone because it might cut you open. I can’t put stock in this.

  12. Cole Mahoney - 8 years ago

    If this is true ill probobly wait until 2017 for an upgrade. My iPhone 6 will be good for another year.

  13. o0smoothies0o - 8 years ago

    2017 10th Anniversary of the iPhone. Called iPhone X and be the most signifanct change to iPhone since the first iPhone. I’m not talking just because it is new and obviously is better than any other, it will be the biggest features to come to any iPhone and that will be on the back of wireless distance charging. My guess is that they are going to a full glass enclosure to make possible, superior wireless distance charging, and it will be by far the biggest feature to come to smartphones.

    Here’s the thing with wireless distance charging future: everywhere you go, your phone or other mobile device will be charging, and this is happening without the user even thinking about it, and without the user worrying about it. This means that the battery capacity essentially increases massively, and in most cases your phone will just never die. Look for the in Starbucks right off the bat. I bet Apple will partner with some businesses to get the ball rolling on wireless distance charging in businesses and it will all be exclusive to iPhone X.

    I might also add that the iPhone X and them waiting until 2017 could very well be to get the wireless distance charging out ahead of competitors as soon as possible, as it will draw massive upgrades and significantly bring android users over.

    • Problem is all these things work with alliances. Sure it may work in america like Apple Pay but in countries like china india and europe they need alliances or Antitrust will keep cominh

  14. Jamison.IO (@Jamison_IO) - 8 years ago

    I wish they’d try and do what ever motorola did with the droid Turbo 2. Their ‘unshatterable’ glass is pretty amazing. I bought my wife one, and it’s been the best thing ever.

    • o0smoothies0o - 8 years ago

      You understand the chemical structure of that ‘glass’ is very different, and my guess is it’s weight is greater but more importantly it’s translucency could be lower or its reflectivity could be higher. It’s probably worse in every way, except shatterability.

  15. Jamison.IO (@Jamison_IO) - 8 years ago

    Wireless charging, tougher glass,task specific widget useable with=out unlocking the phone – that’s what i’d like. Plus, an complete ground up rebuild of iTunes.

  16. rudygray - 8 years ago

    It is almost certain that iPhone 7 won’t be released this year, but rather just another minor release. With new iPads already announced last month and Macs coming for WWDC, I suspect the fall keynote will quite lame.

    • Smigit - 8 years ago

      Based on what? Why would Apple skip a year for their most valuable product? There’s been plenty or rumours regarding water proofing, losing headphone jacks etc that suggest the phone is coming this year.

  17. o0smoothies0o - 8 years ago

    iPhone X (10th Anniversary)

    •All glass or glass/ceramic or glass/ceramic with aluminum, or liquid metal band

    •AMOLED 5.0″ and 5.8″ screens

    •Wireless distance charging thanks to all glass design

    •Reduced bezels and thus the same or similar physical dimensions, with increased screen sizes

    •Lightning port removed and functionality replaced by existing technologies such as wifi transfer, OTA updates, Bluetooth headphones, and a Smart Connector on the bottom back of the phone.

    •Touch ID built into screen

  18. tohaklim - 8 years ago

    Oh boy, I can’t wait another year with my 5

  19. viciosodiego - 8 years ago

    Will it have bezels?

  20. kpom1 - 8 years ago

    A big complaint about the iPhone 4/4S was that it was too easy to shatter the back. That said, we’re several generations into Gorilla Glass now, so it might be less of an issue.

    That said, skipping a major upgrade in 2016 is likely to have a significant impact on iPhone sales. Given that the market has priced Apple assuming people are holding off for a big push with this fall’s “iPhone 7,” this could really temper expectations for this year. What might be happening is that, just as the iPad Pro was delayed, perhaps Apple wanted to shift to AMOLED in 2016 but either couldn’t strike a deal with Samsung soon enough or ran into issues that delayed production, thus pushing out the major redesign to 2017.

    • dcj001 - 8 years ago

      We will not be skipping a major upgrade to the iPhone in 2016.

  21. jakexb - 8 years ago

    Not updating the look this year would be bad news. Sales are already trailing.

  22. acslater017 - 8 years ago

    Dunno how I feel about that. The 4 was a gorgeous, iconic design. But it also shattered quite easily. The new 6’s, and especially the 6s Plus, have made huge strides in durability. Denting aluminum sucks, but it’s better than cracking/shattering glass.

  23. Not sure why people feel anything about a BS report from KGI. They’re lulling their investors, meanwhile people in the know are laughing their asses off.

  24. I CAN’T BELIEVE IT. I SKIPPED THE IPHONE 6S SO I COULD GET A NEW PHONE LIKE THE IPHONE 7. I EXPECTED MORE FEATURES SINCE THIS IS A 7 AND NOT AN S MODEL. I KEPT MY OLD IPHONE 4S FOR AN EXTRA YEAR HOPING I COULD GET THE BEST OF THE BEST PHONE OF 2016 AND LOOK!!!!! SERIOUSLY APPLE WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM. THIS NEW IPHONE 7 IS JUST GONA BE THE SAME OLD SAME OLD, EXCEPT EVEN WORSE SINCE IT WON’T HAVE A HEADPHONE JACKS, NO WATER PROOFING, DUAL CAMERA FOR PLUS MODEL,NO WIRELESS CHARGING. HONESTLY, IS APPLE OK? I LOVE THE COMPANY’S PRODUCTS BUT IT SEEMS AS THOUGHT THEY ARE SLACKING TOO MUCH. THE ONLY THING KEEPING ME AWAY FROM BUYING THE GALAXY S7 IS ANDROID. IF THAT RAN IOS I WOULD BE FULL FOR IT. I JUST CAN’T BELIEVE APPLE HAS NOTHING FOR US WITH THIS NEW PHONE. SHAME ON THEM!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  25. xzycan - 8 years ago

    Wonder why the render does not go a step further to incorporate the long-rumoured dual lens.

  26. taoprophet420 - 8 years ago

    Only the space gray iPhone 4/s and 5/s had glass backs. All the models with white backs was a ceramic.

    My guess is Apple has a ceramic compound with liquid metal or sapphire mixed in.

    I dropped my iPhone 4 and 5 several times with no case and had no problems. I was sitting on a bench and my 6 plus dropped about 18 inches and splintered all over.

    • mpias3785 - 8 years ago

      The 6 series is badly designed. There’s virtually zero protection for the screen. I love the functionality of my 6s but it’s the ugliest damn iPhone to date and needs a case to both protect the screen and hide its ugliness.

      • taoprophet420 - 8 years ago

        The internals are good on the 6/s models, just Apple to zero time designing the outside. The curved glass makes the phone is to break. The antenna gaps are hideous and makes it an ugly iPhone.

        I haven’t purchased a case, but it is the only iPhone I have had that needed a case. I have had a 3GS,4,5, and 6 plus and only used a case on the 3GS.

  27. James (@jamesisup) - 8 years ago

    This will keep them from looking like another cookie cutter phone. Interesting read.

  28. hello78601 - 8 years ago

    hope the rumours for the 2017 iPhone (iPhone x) are actually for this years. I’d hate apple if they do an ‘s’ update this year and come with a major redesign for next year.

  29. tigerpork - 8 years ago

    My guess is that apple will be using the shatterproof glass that verizon used on their droid phone.

  30. stevelawrence - 8 years ago

    Apple has become too slow and is slipping badly behind. They need the radical redesign this year. The world will not give them a free pass just because they are Apple.

    • o0smoothies0o - 8 years ago

      Who’s going to challenge them exactly? They will still sell 60-70 million iPhones and be 100% okay. The stocks will fall some but that is 100% meaningless anyway.

      • sparklehedgehog - 8 years ago

        If it wasn’t for the ecosystem I guarantee a large percentage of iPhone owners would’ve switched by now. They’ve merely been treading water since SJ died whereas beforethey were always pushing forward.

        Shame as I love everything they’ve ever made but feel that it’s more about profit and micro advancements rather than pushing to be the best at all times.

      • o0smoothies0o - 8 years ago

        They’re about to be the first company to drop the headphone jack. That’s a confident step forward as only Apple does.

      • stevelawrence - 8 years ago

        Have you looked around at other devices recently? Apple’s once untouchable design and build quality is now looking decidedly long in the tooth and run-of-the-mill. Samsung’s S7 Edge outshines the 6 family in every way. Team Android are pointing and laughing at our bezels.

        Apple needs to get on top of this now. And your retort is eerily reminiscent of the way Steve Bulmer sneered at the first iPhone. Remember what happened to them?

      • o0smoothies0o - 8 years ago

        The S7 Edge is unintelligent design. By unintelligent I mean that if the goal were to make a device that is the best device without the purpose of adding a gimmick to sell it, no one intelligent would decide to put screen on the edge. It is however, intelligent design in that they decided to try a gimmick and see how many morons would buy into it. Apparently it was successful enough to keep alongside the normal designed S7 that isn’t for drooling retards.

    • Apple is neither too slow or too fast. It executes based on its vision of what an ideal version of that product should look like and how it should function and takes steps every year, based on when the technology is ready, to get there.

  31. Inaba-kun (@Inaba_kun) - 8 years ago

    “Aluminum”? Really Benjamin? If Jonny Ive can use the correct international term aluminium then you sure as hell can. When The Guardian (for example) employs a US writer they don’t suddenly start writing in English, they just use American English as they normally would and amazingly The Guardian’s UK readers manage to understand what has been read.

    • akag9 - 8 years ago

      Aluminum is the American and Canadian spelling for the silver-white metallic element (number 13 on the periodic table) abundant in the earth’s crust. Aluminium is the preferred spelling outside North America.

      Neither term is superior to the other, and both are etymologically and logically justifiable.

      (from Grammarist)

      • sparklehedgehog - 8 years ago

        Yeah but Americams are the Global Police and self professed rulers of the Earth so Aluminum must be correct….

        Zzzz

    • dcj001 - 8 years ago

      Inaba-kun (@Inaba_kun) – 14 hours ago

      “‘Aluminum?’ Really Benjamin? If Jonny Ive can use the correct international term aluminium”

      And maybe you should spell Mr. Ives’s first name correctly – Jony.

      #ignorance

    • pdixon1986 - 8 years ago

      Actually — if you follow the history of the English language — especially for the word “Aluminum”… This was chiefly used by the british at the start…but some also called it “Aluminium”… no one could really agree on what to call it… America finally decided on “Aluminum”, while britain still continue to interchange and eventually settle on “Aluminium”…In the scientific culture – both are acceptable spellings of the metal.

      Regardless — most people understand when either are used… plus — aluminium isnt the “international term”…there isn’t one… this is used in most english speaking countries though… plus Jonny Ive is british, so he’s just using what he knows…lol

      In short — stop nit-picking!

    • Benjamin Mayo - 8 years ago

      I’m British, I say aluminium and am inclined to write aluminium too. For my posts on 9to5Mac, though, I use Americanisms wherever possible — like ‘aluminum’.

  32. “making it more likely Apple will want to differentiate with entirely new materials.”

    They’ve used crystal on the past, not to mention the competition (Sony, Samsung) has been using it for years now, how is this gonna differentiate them then?

  33. logodude11 - 8 years ago

    Honestly, this rendering is absolutely gorgeous. But if they don’t give us a AMOLED screen, I’m probably going to skip my first upgrade since the iPhone 4.

  34. louiethelug72 - 8 years ago

    The picture shows it has a bezel around the Phone, something like the 4S but rounded. The Picture looks really nice…. for the people who have issues with broken backs of the 4S’s, well just don’t drop it or protect it with a bezel cover. I still have my iPhone 4S just because I like the look & feel of it….One of the Best Feeling best Iphones of its day. Although I do Use my 6S for a Live working iPhone… I like the picture of the Possible 7 Glass on Glass… Being a 10th anniversary I hope the internals are out of this World… Maybe Something New out of the box per say…

  35. Neil Billingham - 8 years ago

    Nice mockup render :)

  36. bellevueboy - 8 years ago

    Don’t care what the name is but if a phone like this comes out I want it. It’s super cool.

  37. dksmidtx - 8 years ago

    Great – another piece of glass to break – isn’t the screen enough already????

  38. At least this would stop bendgate (which finally happened to my 5S yesterday).

  39. Has KGI ever gotten any predictions right?

  40. David Wood - 8 years ago

    A modest upgrade cycle this year with already modest iPhone sales? Seems like they’d be painting themselves into a corner. Also, if it’s going to be a modest upgrade, why even bother naming it the iPhone 7? Might as well call it iPhone 6SS, or something like that. Unless they think the “7” will generate sales in and of itself. Which, I guess, it would, but then they’re going to go right to an iPhone 8? mmmmmmm….. Something fishy is afoot.

  41. Nieuport28 - 8 years ago

    Next release will be iPhone 6SE. This phone will be mid 2017. No more numbers. iPhone SE, iPhone 4.7″, iPhone Pro 5.8″

    • o0smoothies0o - 8 years ago

      If Apple sells a phone ever in their history called iPhone Pro, I’ll know that their reign of the most intelligent designs and decisions is over. Also, you can’t drop the numbers for iPhone. It would be horrible for marketing purposes.

      There should be 3 phones in 2017

      4.3″ iPhone Mini
      5.0″ iPhone
      5.8″ iPhone Plus

      All 0.3″ increase in screen size, with reduced bezels and no physical increase in size

  42. pratafw - 8 years ago

    Maybe there won’t be an iPhone release in September 16 and the new iPhone 7 With smoled screen will be released in March 2017 in a new upgrade cycle as the iPhone SE

  43. pdixon1986 - 8 years ago

    They will either do this for iphone 7 2016 (which they kinda need to) or it wont be until 2018 for the iphone 8… either that, or they could just drop the S series and come out with iphone 8 next year instead…

    If they are going to use glass, it better be even stronger and shatter proof — and it’s kinda laughable how it says the current metal case isnt modern looking anymore and so they are going to use glass mimicking an older design… with this, and the SE, it is almost like they are saying “yup, we messed the design up…let’s go back to the other design.

    As for the edges – they could use liquid metal…

    i must admit…that mock up looks sleek and nice… the thin antenna bands on the side only look much better…BUT i don’t think it will have a sim tray…apple will push for their built in sim instead.

    I’m going to be very disappointed this year – im due for an upgrade around iphone launch time… if i end up with a phone almost identical to the 6 with just internals updates, i wont be happy — i really want a redesign… a new display would be nice, but i guess they can save that for next year, but this new design needs to happen this year — it NEEDS TO!!!

    • iPhone / smartphone upgrade cycles are getting longer as the market matures and the tick-tock cycle of iPhone releases is coming to an end, if not this year, then don’t be surprised it happens next year

      • o0smoothies0o - 8 years ago

        I don’t think so. iPhones still have probably 4-5 years of solid upgrades before it gets to the point where it’s really just not going to be upgraded quickly.

        There are plenty of things they can do that will get people to buy more.

        Superior displays
        Reduced bezels
        Bigger battery
        Wireless distance charging
        Much improved cameras (dual cameras)
        Bigger screen sizes while keeping the same physical size due to reduced bezels
        More environmental sensors
        Augmented reality using what’s seen in the camera and multiple sensors on the back to give information and a users environment and what they’re seeing in the camera. (A future example here is you hold your phone up to a flower or tree and it pops the information up in line on the screen and gives a link to Wikipedia you can tap on for further information about whatever object, and also things like products like you hold it up to something you’re interested in and it shows you on Walmart, Best Buy, Amazon, etc. and another obvious example would be live translation, you have a sign in front of you in a foreign language but on your iPhone it displays in your native language)

  44. baldwyn08 - 8 years ago

    “Sir, we’re receiving reports that many more users are putting our fragile phones in bulky cases to protect them, thus robbing us of untold millions in replacements. Any suggestions?”

    “Make the entire phone out of slippery glass they won’t want to cover with a case.”

    “Brilliant.”

  45. Alexis (@iamreese1) - 8 years ago

    I’m starting to believe we won’t get an iPhone in 2016

  46. mytawalbeh - 8 years ago

    I think this rendering is awesome as it gather the two concepts of designs iPhone 4 and 6 rounded edges.
    When reports indicated that Apple is testing three devices two are completely new form factor and the other is identical to the 6s as a backup plan, I guess the worst case happened, the glass on glass option didn’t make it as a complete device before the deadlines of this year, so it was postponed to the next year.
    The weird thing here is the naming and Apple’s tick-tock strategy, but that won’t be a thing if they come up with new name on the 10th anniversary, something to avoid futuristic “iPhone 10,11,..20”

    • o0smoothies0o - 8 years ago

      The render looks okay, but unless they are 100% unaware of Apple’s iPhone 6/6s design, I have no idea why they didn’t curve the back glass into the edges. Even a complete idiot designer would know if the front glass curves into the edges, the back glass would do the exact same, symmetrically. I’m not sure why every render you see has some glaringly idiotic aspect that makes no sense. If I could make renders they’d be of logically feasible Apple designs, that’s all I’m saying.

      • mytawalbeh - 8 years ago

        Agree.
        Besides, the location of buttons sleep-awake, volume, …. is wrong.

  47. taoprophet420 - 8 years ago

    KGI and Kuo need to chill out on reports until they have something concrete to go on. 3 reports in 6 weeks that are totally different. One said no OLED iPhone till 2018. The 2nd said 5.8″ glass/ceramic 5.8″ models next year. This report wasn’t clear on which iPhones are getting the all glass/ceramic enclosures.

    He is very accurate, but these rumors are to speculative. They also rely heavily on Apple being able to secure enough OLED panels for any screen size, let alone 2 or 3 screen size. Things like the 2 earthquakes in Japan last week will effect supplies of camera modules and displays on current products. Its hard to predict bottle neck and production issues that will arrive between now and the middle of next year. Even if they have insider knowledge of signed contracts for displays it does not mean that the displays will be ready or if Apple will have issues producing the new glass enclosures.

    Unless Foxconn puts a rush on Sharps display facilities Apple will struggle securing enough OLED panels.

    KGI is reliable, but this many reports with different information so quickly after each other shows they are unsure of Apple plans or Apple is rapidly shifting their internal plans.

    • o0smoothies0o - 8 years ago

      KGI is accurate usually regarding hardware aspects, but can be less accurate with timeframes. Anyway, 5.8″ is very believable. They’ll increase the screen sizes and reduce the bezels due to the OLED screens and keep the physical sizes the same.

      If Apple released a 5.5″ and a 5.8″ they should be shut down for stupidity. The 5.5″ will become the 5.8″ with roughly the same physical body size. They’re not going to increase the screen size and reduce the bezels of one phone and not the other though. And in fact, they should make a 4.3″ iPhone mini as well. If they actually released it alongside the others with similar features they might actually sell. Granted, a problem is supply as you mentioned.

      • taoprophet420 - 8 years ago

        Remind me to stop using WordPress’s notification center to reply, they hardly ever post for me.

        I know KDI is accurate, but releasing 3 reports in quick succession with different information erodes some of their credibility. They do say that next year at least 40% of the iPhones will still be aluminum

        Im sure this is in relation to Samsung getting the contract to produce some OLED panels. They are expected to convert one line sole to iPhone OLED production and make 120,000 units a month in the second half of the year. This is still way short of the supply Apple needs. They would need nearly 80 million displays per iPhone size.

        I think we will only see the 5.8″ model next year. If we see a 5″ model it will be in very short supply at release.Maybe Apple unveils both sizes at the same time and says the smaller model will ship 3 months later or something like that. My guess is the 5″ model gets released in the Spring of 2018.

  48. WaltFrench - 8 years ago

    I’m not getting the WHY of the change. For change’s sake? Lots of ways to do that w/o making the device more fragile & heavier.

    Maybe people see the antenna line as an abomination but I’m not getting that. Maybe Gorilla Glass IV is lighter and neither brittle nor scratchable. But that seems awfully speculative.

    • taoprophet420 - 8 years ago

      Only the space gray models used glass. The models with white backs was always a ceramic. I always had silver and white models and dropped them several times with no issue. I can’t really remember seeing photos of broken white backed iPhones, only black.I imagine Apple has a new ceramic mixture that includes liquid metal or sapphire or both.

      One reason Apple is doing this is now almost all the Android phones are metal. Another reason is ceramic or glass allows Apple to do wireless charging(not inductive)

      Apple has had a patent since 2013 for a full glass enclosure and is a slick looking device, It has updated the paten twice one last year and once this year. So Apple definitely wants to make a solid cermac/glass phone.

      • Jake Becker - 8 years ago

        The patents are definitely interesting, I think that if they were referenced in some way in Kuo’s apparent source, people would be scratching their heads a lot less. Returning to 4S materials would be backwards, but so is the current state of iWork and a pencil that sticks out of the end of your iPad to charge. If they can pull off iPhone X going above and beyond these patent(s), Cook’s leadership will finally earn the respect of a lot of skeptics and the Watch and Mac Pro designs may even be looked at in a different light. Though I’ve always thought the Pro design to be one of Apple’s best, spec hiccups notwithstanding.

      • taoprophet420 - 8 years ago

        I never had issues with the ceramics in the 4/s 5/s.The space gray models are the only ones that used glass. They have been whispers for awhile on a new ceramic casing material. So i assume Apple has a new hybrid ceramic, maybe their old ceramic mixture with liquid metal or sapphire.

        Apple should have put smart connectors on the Pencil to charge it and have it magnetically stick to the iPad Pros. I know the pencil is ticker then the iPad, but still should be able to design it to charge when its connected on a desk or table.Why have a connector that conductively charges and exchanges data, but only works with one accessory.

        I think the Mac Pro is kinda like the Power Mac G4 Cube and is only suitable and good design for some people.The shape and size make it awkward on desks. I think the biggest thing that has held it back though is that Apple doesn’t have an updated Thunderbolt Display.I think a mini aluminum tower that resembles a Power Mac G5 with a flip open door would sell better then then the trash can design. I think people want something familiar yet different.

      • Jake Becker - 8 years ago

        Or a 12″ MagSafe to Lightning cord, Pencil to iPad.

      • Alex Yoesting - 8 years ago

        Where are you getting the back was made of ceramic? I’ve been searching around but i don’t see anything stating that the 4S white had a ceramic back. Not to say your wrong i’m just trying to find somewhere i can reference too.

      • taoprophet420 - 8 years ago

        From Apple’s iPhone 5 design site
        “The back of iPhone 5 is made of anodized 6000 series aluminum — the same material used in Apple notebooks — with inlays along the top and bottom made of ceramic glass (on the white and silver model) or pigmented glass (on the black and slate model).”

        They are patents that came out around the release of the iPhone 4 saying that the white and silver model had a ceramic back.

  49. neatoman - 8 years ago

    Aluminium oxynitride, it’s a transparent ceramic that is very strong. At three times harder than steel and 85% stronger the Sapphire it will make the phone extraordinarily strong.

    I signed up for WordPress just to comment lol

  50. Sebastian Bahri - 8 years ago

    Keep in mind that 2017 marks the 10th anniversary for iPhone – and Apple would be leaving the biggest and most remarkable changes for that “next-gen” iPhone. That is when it would also make sense to start off with a new naming system for the future iPhones.

    The big question remains, how does Apple break the current iPhone generation cycle, as the old pattern would release a next gen model during Fall 2016 – and this new glass-body iPhone is supposed to come out a year later?

    They must break the cycle somewhere, but where?

  51. Joseph Frye - 8 years ago

    I was really hoping the sides would be flat like the new iPhone SE. The rounded edges make the phone much more difficult to hold onto without dropping it.

  52. troonorth05 - 8 years ago

    So they could have come up with a better email programme, or a battery that doesn’t require the charger as a constant companion, or an O.S. that isn’t years out of date, or a screen that doesn’t self destruct at the slightest drop. But no, with their famous record of breakable screens, they invent the all-glass phone. Because nothing says strength and unbreakable like glass.

  53. mpias3785 - 8 years ago

    Does it strike anyone else that making the most abused piece of electronics most people own out of glass as a little unwise? No matter how cool it looks, it’s going to demand a case.

    I’d prefer to see a tough composite used instead. Not as sleek as the crap Jony has been spitting out, but far more practical and a case would be optional.

  54. Ron Fleming - 8 years ago

    So Apple finally concedes that Samsung makes the best smartphone screens in the world.

  55. help4atheists - 8 years ago

    Why not mention how the reason they’re switching to glass is because aluminum interferes with wireless power transfer? Seems like charging your phone from a distance is more significant a feature than changing the phones material to allow for that feature.

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Avatar for Benjamin Mayo Benjamin Mayo

Benjamin develops iOS apps professionally and covers Apple news and rumors for 9to5Mac. Listen to Benjamin, every week, on the Happy Hour podcast. Check out his personal blog. Message Benjamin over email or Twitter.