This Is Apple's Next iPhone
Gizmodo found a pretty good leak. Sorry Mark, they went all square.
Thanks to Josh Mings for the link!
Gizmodo found a pretty good leak. Sorry Mark, they went all square.
Thanks to Josh Mings for the link!
Mark Biasotti wrote:
Wow - I sure wouldn't want to be in the shoes of the Apple employee who lost this - I'd be contemplating asylum in another country!
Regards
Mark
Funny you mention that. Lufthansa has offered asylum in Germany: http://twitpic.com/1hjhmv
I point out the iPhone solely based on its aesthetic design, and the surfacing required to produce it, which has been a common topic here and elsewhere. Specifically, the curvy backside which is difficult to model properly, and makes a great example of why C2 curvature is important, and what it means. The new iPhone design will not appear to require C2, and even on the for corners may purposefully be only C1 to increase the "industrial" aesthetic.
I could care less how many thousands of dollars a year you spend on your phone, or why android based phones are better. I own an LG that cost $20 cash (no plan required), and then is ~$7.50/month. I only brought up the subject as it relates to consumer product design.
Hey Charles,
Glad you brought it up. Actually what "makes" an apple product, in general is not whether (and I know you know this) it has C2 or swoopy but is mostly about the exquisite materials and use of them and the fit and finish of the product in its entirety. I mean, when is the last time you saw an appearance gap on an apple product? It’s like a few years ago when I went to purchase a new vehicle and I distinctly remember looking at the interiors of Hondas and Nissans as compared to GM and Ford vehicles – the fit and finish were noticeably different (better on the Japanese vehicles.) Apple products are jewel-like and "precious" and the ID's work very hard to conscientiously (or unconscientiously) draw us to the beauty and feel of water and smooth stones.
Regards
Mark
Prior to working here at Essex, I worked as a "corporate quality analyst" for what was then DaimlerChrysler. I can spot whether a Dodge full-size pickup truck was built in the US (Michigan or St Louis), or built in Mexico from across a parking lot. This is all due to the size and alignment of the gap between the front bumper and the driver's side quarter panel. The Mexican built trucks are typically built within spec (5 mm?). The American assembled bumpers were always off by 3/4".
Americans, et al, have come a long way in the past decade for fit/finish. Fords have the best fit/finish of all non-luxury brands right now, and GM's are good too. I used to say I had the easiest job in the world, finding quality issues on Dodge pickups...
As to Apple, you are correct. It surprised me that they are going away from the aluminum case for the next gen iPhone. I always appreciated Apple's use of aluminum for consumer grade products (although I've never been willing to spend money on it myself). The article also mentions "large gaps that must serve a purpose." I saw that, and assumed that because they were going to a plastic back, they needed gaps for the parts to fit properly, and merely accentuated them to make it a design "feature." Do you (open ended question to the forum) think they needed larger gaps for a plastic body?
I think they're going to a glass/plastic back to help with reception. I know the antenna needs all the help it can get. I also heard rumors that the battery will be replaceable. Maybe those two features will knock some haters down a peg or two. Separating the volume buttons seems like a good idea too, operating the volume and top home (don't know what else to call it) can be sketchy when using a case right now.
Hopefully: replaceable battery, "HD" screen, faster processor/more RAM, and a better camera lens/pixel count.
Hmmmm?: Front facing camera. I can only imagine how fast the battery will drain doing chat. (maybe it's just easier self portrait mode....)
I marvel at Apple's ID (and would love a tour of their design department), how finished it is, how concienciously exigent factors like weight, countour, palm feel are incorporated. It's almost as if they knew the first inclination on discovering the iPhone's crummy reception would be to throw it.
OK, not fair considering the improvements in the 3G iPhone, but when the Macbook Air prooved to a be a $2000 digital photo frame, I'm certain it's ultra-thin design filled some customers with the urge to feed it into the shredder.
And for the Mac Pro owner who spent $2600 to discover that the machine supports exactly 1 quadro video card (that awful 4500) and no upgrades, he probably thought it's brushed channel chasis with stainless mesh finishing made it a better bait bucket than work station.
And following Steve Job's 'flash sucks and so does anyone who likes it' campaign and the greif patrons have had getting on the internet, I venture that some amoung iPad owners have considered the bevelled cornrers and slate motif as befitting a breif life in an industrial die press.
I'd like to be on that tour as well. I've always liked and now look on ID as a really neat part of the design. Too mnay people just start off making rectangles without thinking of look, feel, ETC. I may eve take some classes on the subject some day.
Steve
While we're at it: http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/19/garmin-nuvi-3700-series-breaks-the-gps-mold-uses-another-mold-i/
The new Garmin Nuvi.
What I do not understand is why Apple took so much care to make the back smooth and pleasing, but as soon as you put your fingers on it, it is not smudge proof. I don't know if that can be dealt with by using different plastics, but it sure seems like a lack of thought. Which would seem strange to me.
It looks great in the product booths in the shops though. But sort of misleading, at least in my opinion.
iPod nanos (including mine that says SolidWorks on the back) have a polished aluminum back. It starts life very shiny. After a week, it is smudged, and slightly scratched. After a few months, it is mostly scratched, and no longer shiny. But it sure looks nice when you purchase them.
Conversely, my cell phone (which gets much more time in my pocket than my iPod) has a plastic front face, that is a clear material, with a black background behind it. I assume it's some sort of Polycarbonite blend. It only has a few minor scratches, that you can't really notice. It definitely has some superior scratch resistance above regular PC. It does get smudged often, but a quick wipe on my pants/shirt/whatever and it still looks nice. It is only 6 months old, but it still looks pretty good. I'm not sure exactly what material it is, but if Apple uses something like that, then I don't expect many issues.
The first thing I bought for my SW iPod nano was a rubber skin. My iPod nano looks shiny today as it did when I got it.
Steve
You cover the shiny metal with an elastomer cover?
Do you do the same to your couches at home? http://neuronarrative.wordpress.com/2009/01/19/the-psychology-of-plastic-couch-covers/
Do you keep that blue plastic on your door handles? When I was 10, we moved into a fairly new house. It was used, but only about 8 years old. All the interior brass door handles still had the clear plastic protection on them, about 1/2 worn off. I have to wonder if those people also used plastic couch covers.
I bet your clothes dryer still has the plastic anti-scratch film on the the control panel (you know, that blue peel-away layer).
You're wrong, my 14 yr old pulled that one off. I do still have the one that covers my pool controller, though.
Steve
Well now it's official. iPhone 4. Sorry Mark, but now I do think it's just a box with fillets
3GS (curvy back, nice)
4 (flat as toast!)
Wow - I sure wouldn't want to be in the shoes of the Apple employee who lost this - I'd be contemplating asylum in another country!
Regards
Mark