Apple may ditch aluminum for all-glass iPhone casing next year

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iPhone 6 Plus
We may be waving goodbye to Jony Ive's love affair with aluminum.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Jony Ive’s beloved aluminum casing is as about as iconic a part of the iPhone as the Apple logo or a working OS. Despite that, a new report claims that the company will ditch its aluminum look for an all-glass enclosure for next year’s iPhone 7s.

Reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo revealed this tidbit over the weekend in a note to clients, which also reiterated the view that the 2017-era iPhone will sport an OLED display.

It’s not exactly clear what an all-glass enclosure would look like for the iPhone, although Kuo has previously speculated that the 2017 iPhone may boast a 5.8-inch curved glass body similar to the one on Samsung’s well-received Galaxy S7 edge.

Last week, Apple meanwhile reportedly brokered a deal with Samsung worth $2.59 billion which will see it provide OLED panels for future iPhones.

Provided that Kuo is right, Apple is holding off on offering a major iPhone 6-style redesign of its handset until next year. This differs from the company’s usual strategy, which is to focus on external changes for the full number upgrades (the iPhone 4, 5, 6), while adding tweaks and internal modifications for the “s” number releases (iPhone 4s, 5s, 6s).

Does this mean that next year’s iPhone will be the iPhone 8, instead of the 7s? I guess we’ll have to wait and see. In the meantime, do you like the idea of Apple ending its fixation on aluminum for a renewed emphasis on glass? Leave your comments below.

Whatever the result, I can’t help but feel  bit less excited about this fall’s release…

Via: MacRumors

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