AppleInsider Staff
With the launch of Apple's next-generation iPhone less than two weeks away, a new set of photos that emerged on Friday offer a look at what is said to be a near-final rear shell and cover glass elements for the forthcoming handset.
The pictured components look almost identical to previous leaks and appear to be for a 4.7-inch device. They first appeared on Chinese web forum Wei Feng, where the original poster made no claims as to their provenance.
The shell itself features a series of seemingly plastic "ribbons" that surround its upper and lower extremes, where glass would normally be found on an iPhone 5 or 5s. The strips are closer in color to the metal than they have been in previous leaks, suggesting that they may remain in the final version.
It is unclear whether the ribbons are meant to act as radio-transparent covers for the handset's antenna system, or if they act as insulators of some kind. At least one previous rumor suggested that the design was not final, and the ribbons denoted areas that would be replaced with glass in the final model.
The bottom sports holes for a headphone jack, microphone, and Lightning port, alongside a redesigned speaker grille made of six large openings. The sides feature cutouts for the volume rockers, silent switch, SIM tray, and relocated power button.
The cover glass, meanwhile, maintains the same openings for a FaceTime camera and proximity sensor as previous iPhones. It appears to taper along the edge, matching up with previous leaks.
Apple is expected to announce the 4.7-inch device at an event on Sept. 9, perhaps alongside the hotly-anticipated iWatch. AppleInsider will be on hand at the event and will bring live coverage from Cupertino's Flint Center.
Christine McKee
William Gallagher
Sponsored Content
Malcolm Owen
Mike Wuerthele and Malcolm Owen
Andrew Orr
105 Comments
[quote name="sog35" url="/t/182021/new-photos-purport-to-show-near-final-iphone-6-rear-shell-cover-glass#post_2586255"]not liking those bands [/quote] I'm reserving judgement for the announcement. The leaks never look as good as the real thing. It will all make sense come 9.9 and Schiller is on stage announcing the new phone.
Antenna cuts look a little less ugly with that toned down color, but they're still ugly to me...
I do not like the bands either. I could understand if there were used for water proofing, impact mitigation but from the inside of the case you cannot see them so they appear to be purely decorative (sigh, ugly). With all the gaping holes i do not see this phone to be a waterproof - too bad my cheapo pebble watch is... so the technology is there. We shell see...
It's official. The word purport and all its tenses have been killed by Appleinsider.
[quote name="alcstarheel" url="/t/182021/new-photos-purport-to-show-near-final-iphone-6-rear-shell-cover-glass#post_2586270"]It's official. The word purport and all its tenses have been killed by Appleinsider.[/quote] Purportedly... ????