Rumors circulated yesterday that the cat was out of the bag on Apple’s next iPhone design: the picture above was one of a series leaked by a Twitter user depicting a supposed redesign of Apple’s redesign. This supposed iPhone 6 had a rounded back more akin to the iPad than the current iPhone, with next to no bezel and a big, edge-to-edge display. But it’s all fake.
[gallery ids="957401,957403,957402,957400"]
The photos appear to actually be advanced renders, which at least one Reddit user convincingly argues are the work of Martin Hajek. Hajek is known for his photorealistic device render work, and in fact he created one for an iPhone 6 with a very similar look back in March, 2013. This new image details the inside of the case, showing some ribbons and other components, and adds a Touch ID sensor to the front and a double-flash to the back (both of which weren’t known about at the time of the original renders), but the rest of the industrial design looks borrowed from the earlier concept.
[gallery ids="957404,957405,957406"]
The renders may not represent what Apple actually has in the works, but this is a redesign I could get behind. The iPad mini with Retina display is essentially a larger version of this as it is, and it’s nearly handholdable or pocketable. Apple has been using the hard-edged and more angular design of the iPhone 5s for two generations now, but it went with rounded edges for the iPhone 5c, and that has proved popular ergonomically with many reviewers.
So would you pony up for this if Apple unveiled something similar come fall? A bigger screen is almost a lock, but ditching the back bevel would also be a nice move in my opinion. Hopefully Hajek proves psychic when we do finally get a real glimpse at what Apple has in store for us next.