KGI Industries analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has predicted that, in a major design, Apple will drop the usual aluminum enclosure for an all-glass casing with an AMOLED-equipped iPhone set for next year.
In a new report cited by 9to5Mac, Kuo claims that aluminum should be abandoned as it will no longer look modern or fresh in an iPhone in 2017. Indeed, aluminum designs have recently been very popular with rival smartphone makers – which means that Apple’s alternative strategy should help the iPhone to keep a step ahead by continuing to visually stand out.
Kuo adds that the new glass iPhone will come with a new AMOLED display panel sufficiently thin and light to compensate for the slight weight gain that the glass body would bring. Kuo scotches the idea that drop test issues could deter Apple from moving ahead with glass, given that this shatter-prone material was previously used for the front and back of the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S, pictured above.
Rumors suggest that next year’s iPhone will be a bolder step forward than the one expected later this year. Recent leaks hint that, bar the inclusion of a dual-lens camera in some units and the absence of the dedicated headphone jack, the “iPhone 7” will look very similar to the iPhone 6S.
