Every time there’s a set of leaks, there’s always a massive chunk of salt to be taken with them, but with the latest round, I’m going to give these a solid 90% chance.
Which, a month ago would have disappointed me, as the plastic looked shockingly bad. But in the newer leaks, the latest designs seem to actually show what could be one of the biggest selling points for the new iPhone:
Edge Protection.
The iPhone 5 and 5s have they beautiful diamond cut edges, that burr and mark very easily. Apple sort of acknowledged this when they released an official case for it.
The plastic sections on the most recent leaks appear to be much larger than the previous versions.
The plastic sections roll round the corners and the edges, creating a ‘bumper’ built in to the top and bottom of the device. As a phone falls, they tend to fall on a corner. Having built in shock protection on the corners would make the iPhone 6 more durable than previous version and it’s competitors.
The break in the metal of the device, also allows for implanting aerials in these sections, just like the current devices but given Apple had a patent approved two years ago for implanting antennas in to metal, there is a very real chance that the entire back panel of the new iPhone may be an aerial.
Combining the edge protection with a front panel of Glass or Sapphire, that is curved at the edges to create a smooth, continuous edge will make these larger, but thinner phones, easier to hold.
As ever these are leaks and nothing has been confirmed and won’t be till Apples launch event on the 9th of September.
[Update]
So I’ve been out for diner and when I get home, I discover that the curved glass that I mentioned above, has been spotted in the leak channels by 9to5 mac. Roll on September.
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