Neil Hughes
Apple fanatics are always digging, looking for clues about what could be next for the company, and many times seeing things where they don't exist. The latest conspiracy theory: Apple subtly showed off an iPhone 6s-like design without a protruding rear camera at its media event on Monday.
A number of AppleInsider readers have reached out, convinced that a new iPhone model was hiding in plain sight at the company's "Let us loop you in" event, where the iPhone SE and 9.7-inch iPad Pro were announced. The alleged smoking gun is Apple's own promotional video for "Liam," a robotic arm that can disassemble products and sort their parts for recycling.
At the start of the video, the camera pans over a handset with an iPhone 6 or iPhone 6s design. To some who watched, the rear iSight camera looks flush with the back of the device, lacking the camera "bump" of Apple's last two generations of handsets.
As further evidence for believers, the iPhone is then filmed from the side, and from this lower angle a camera bump cannot be seen.
From there, "Liam" the robot makes his appearance and begins disassembling the iPhone for recycling.
Some who have studied the video frame by frame are convinced that the iPhone shown is an unannounced model, whether it's an "iPhone 7" or simply a new iPhone 6s with a smaller camera component.
While the "iPhone 7" is rumored to have a flat back with no camera bump, it's a virtual certainty that Apple would not brazenly show off such a device months ahead of its expected debut. In addition, it's expected that the "iPhone 7" will feature a majorly revamped external design, and the product shown in Apple's recycling video is clearly an iPhone 6 or 6s chassis.
This week's speculation isn't the first time that Apple fanatics have conjured up new products where they don't exist, and it almost certainly won't be the last. Most recently, in December, a "60 Minutes" feature filmed at Apple's corporate headquarters convinced some that a larger 15-inch ultra-thin MacBook was spotted in the background of the segment. That, too, was wishful thinking.
Even Apple's event invitations themselves bring about far-fetched theories. Prior to Monday's event, speculation was rampant about what the tagline, "Let us loop you in," might mean.
In the end, it didn't really mean much. The event was held at 1 Infinite Loop — Apple's corporate headquarters. And at that event, members of the media were brought into the loop, as it were, on Apple's latest products.
And so, whether it was a result of the lighting or the angle of the shot in the video, or if it was some sort of a post-production issue, it's safe to assume Apple didn't slip a tweaked iPhone design into a video that was actually intended to promote environmentally friendly recycling. Because quietly showing off a new product to the masses in such a manner wouldn't be clever — Â it'd be careless.
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51 Comments
I keep getting in discussions about how Apple has fallen behind Samsung. Samsung has waterproofing, curved displays, NFC that can be used in any store etc., etc. I have only ever used an iPhone, so I don't have the perspective others here may have who currently own a new Galaxy S7. Those I am having these discussions with always end up with, "Well, I think I'm ready to try a new Samsung, they seem to have so much more to offer than Apple. Apple is falling behind, only slight iterations from year to year. Nothing truly new and exciting" I'm not even sure how to respond anymore. Not that Apple needs defending, but can someone tell me their thoughts about how they feel about the Samsung Galaxy as opposed to an iPhone? Not looking for an argument here, just some truly good comparison information from a day to day user, since I don't use a Samsung phone. Thanks.
It's not just the camera bump though but also the antenna design. In the video it looks like the antenna is wrapping around the corner and not sitting flat on back of the iPhone. Kind of like an integrated bumper.
To me that robot makes me think that if it can dismantle an iPhone, probably sooner or later there will be a "cousin" that assembles them.