All glass iPhone tipped for 2017

posted by Alan F. / Aug 09, 2016, 4:12 PM

an all glass iPhone concept by Martin Hajek

According to a fresh report from the Nikkei Asian Report, contract manufacturer Foxconn is developing a glass casing for the 2017 iPhone. Under the old two-year product cycle, this year's Apple iPhone would be receiving a fresh new look and plenty of new features. But since 2017 is the tenth anniversary of Apple's iconic smartphone, there has been speculation that Apple will make some minor changes this year while waiting until next year to make wholesale changes to the phone.

According to a person familiar with Apple's supply chain in Taiwan, Foxconn has been working with glass casings since last year in an attempt to find the right one for the 2017 iPhone. The contract manufacturer is one of the companies that assembles the iPhone and iPhone Plus models, but also provides metal casing for the Apple iPhone 6s Plus and the Apple iPhone SE. It will supply the metal casing for the Apple iPhone 7 Plus. Other casing suppliers employed by Apple are Taiwan's Catcher Technologies and Jabil Circuits from the U.S.

The 2017 iPhone could feature a glass casing with a metal frame and an AMOLED display. The Touch ID fingerprint scanner is rumored to be embedded inside the screen, which will cover the entire front of the phone. Just to be clear, it won't look like the thumbnail picture that accompanies this story!

source: NikkeiAsianReview; image courtesy of nowhereelse

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42 Comments

1. Babadook

Posts: 230; Member since: May 24, 2016

Alright techies, how plausible and practical is something like this? Is it like gorilla glass all over the phone? Will it be extremely frail? Scratches would show more than typical? Brightness need to be very high? (Wish PA listed the pros and cons of such feature). Won't you see the circuit board? Battery? Explain it to me please!

posted on Aug 09, 2016, 4:16 PM 0

2. Landon

Posts: 1244; Member since: May 07, 2015

What's pictured won't be happening for a while. That technology isn't even close to becoming reality.

posted on Aug 09, 2016, 4:28 PM 13

6. Bankz

Posts: 2531; Member since: Apr 08, 2016

And actually never will..

posted on Aug 09, 2016, 4:39 PM 8

17. Landon

Posts: 1244; Member since: May 07, 2015

Never say never. If someone can figure out to produce and use graphene efficiently, it will change everything we know about electronics. This article is hilarious, though.... http://www.emirates247.com/business/transparent-iphone-6-new-images-videos-prove-it-s-real-coming-2013-2013-04-04-1.501284

posted on Aug 09, 2016, 5:53 PM 4

21. sgodsell

Posts: 7213; Member since: Mar 16, 2013

Although the current depicted image will not be the device. However Gorilla Glass is currently up to version 5. The Note 7 is the first device to use it. Also the iPhone 4/4s used Gorilla Glass first gen. So there is a huge difference from then to now.

posted on Aug 09, 2016, 6:24 PM 1

28. cheetah2k

Posts: 2221; Member since: Jan 16, 2011

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA that's it, make an already fragile phone even more fragile! Rock on Apple!

posted on Aug 09, 2016, 9:10 PM 3

16. nctx77

Posts: 2540; Member since: Sep 03, 2013

You don't want that to become reality. The thing is complet;y impractical and pointless.

posted on Aug 09, 2016, 5:49 PM 2

23. Unordinary unregistered

Or practical.....

posted on Aug 09, 2016, 6:43 PM 0

36. SmartFix

Posts: 32; Member since: Aug 05, 2016

May be in year 3000 ? :)

posted on Aug 10, 2016, 3:35 AM 0

9. Dr.Phil

Posts: 2340; Member since: Feb 14, 2011

It won't be a see through casing like the concept pictured, but more than likely something similar to the previous iPhone 4S. Except it may also be on the sides of the device instead of just the rear. You won't see a see-through glass phone for many years due to the internals of smartphones still taking up large portions of space.

posted on Aug 09, 2016, 4:54 PM 1

18. Arch_Fiend

Posts: 3951; Member since: Oct 03, 2015

It's possible but it is not practical. Apple can say glass iPhone and all but it will be nothing like the photo PA used and more like the iPhone 4 but more glass less metal.

posted on Aug 09, 2016, 5:59 PM 0

27. Subie

Posts: 2354; Member since: Aug 01, 2015

Gorilla for the front and maybe a more layered approach (Motorola style) for the rest.

posted on Aug 09, 2016, 8:44 PM 2

43. An.Awesome.Guy

Posts: 636; Member since: Jan 12, 2015

it is case will be made from glass and no it won't have transparent screen .

posted on Aug 10, 2016, 9:06 AM 0

44. dragonhart66505

Posts: 8; Member since: Aug 06, 2016

Maybe you haven't seen the iPhone 4s or latest in the Samsung Galaxy line. It's unlikely they will use a seethrough glass, it'll be a stained pane with a metal or plasticine enclosure holding it all together. They couldn't seriously use ALL glass to house the internals, that's impractical. They would need some stronger material to mount the internals. However if they did choose an all glass housing with just a metal outer housing on the sides it would certainly improve the signal quality at the expense of rigidity. Since most people use a case on their devices anyway, I don't see why it wouldn't be plausible to incorporate an all glass frame.

posted on Aug 10, 2016, 6:50 PM 0

3. Bankz

Posts: 2531; Member since: Apr 08, 2016

Oh, pls.. Just give it a break till next year. The ip7 isn't even released yet. Android is where its at right now. With jaw dropping gadgets (Moto Z) after jaw dropping gadgets (Note 7).. The iphone has been frankly lagging behind for some years now actually.

posted on Aug 09, 2016, 4:29 PM 12

4. zeeBomb

Posts: 2318; Member since: Aug 14, 2014

brb reviving Steve jobs

posted on Aug 09, 2016, 4:36 PM 7

25. ibend

Posts: 6747; Member since: Sep 30, 2014

6S plus screen size, protruding camera, and Apple pencil will give him heart attack

posted on Aug 09, 2016, 8:37 PM 3

34. Ezio2710

Posts: 548; Member since: Aug 22, 2015

Use Dragonballs to revive again

posted on Aug 10, 2016, 1:12 AM 0

5. andro.

Posts: 1999; Member since: Sep 16, 2011

The iphone 7 or maybe just iphone 6se hasnt been announced yet and already we are seeing Ludacris reports of the revolutionary features on the supposedly coming on the next iphone! How many times have we seen this before,each iphone is only slightly different from the last. How many times are we going to hear about things like infra projection keyboards,glass iphone,time travel device?!

posted on Aug 09, 2016, 4:38 PM 4

7. Subie

Posts: 2354; Member since: Aug 01, 2015

The pic looks like Tony Stark's phone from Iron Man 2.

posted on Aug 09, 2016, 4:40 PM 0

8. Bankz

Posts: 2531; Member since: Apr 08, 2016

I even bet that this so called revolutionary design wouldn't even be all that tbh..

posted on Aug 09, 2016, 4:41 PM 0

10. Fona13A unregistered

I see them reusing the iPhone SE design for their main products, it won't be an entirely new design.

posted on Aug 09, 2016, 5:00 PM 0

11. hado86

Posts: 177; Member since: Oct 15, 2014

Yasssssss! I want the iPhone 4 or 4s glassy back

posted on Aug 09, 2016, 5:11 PM 0

20. sgodsell

Posts: 7213; Member since: Mar 16, 2013

When the iPhone 4 and 4s were around they used Gorilla Glass 1. Now they are up to Gorilla Glass 5. So it is much stronger now. Even the Note 7 is using Gorilla Glass 5.

posted on Aug 09, 2016, 6:21 PM 1

14. aegislash

Posts: 1476; Member since: Jan 27, 2015

Excellent rumor. The iPhone 4/4S are easily the most gorgeous iPhones, so going back to glass front/back with a metal frame will definitely be enough to get me to sell my 6S Plus and go for it. It's one of the reasons I am so pleased with my Samsung flagships this past year or so. Glass and metal, while fragile, just make fot such a beautiful piece of tech. I hope they stick with this design language for a while.

posted on Aug 09, 2016, 5:39 PM 1

15. aegislash

Posts: 1476; Member since: Jan 27, 2015

**for

posted on Aug 09, 2016, 5:41 PM 0

19. johnh3

Posts: 142; Member since: Aug 23, 2012

Sounds like the rumour about the Apple klock, before it arrived. But when it came it not look anything like the render photos/concept people had creating. And I think Tim Cook are more on the conservative side with product launches.