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Claimed schematic again raises suggestion iPhone 6 will have sub-1mm protruding camera lens

A claimed schematic of the 4.7-inch model of the iPhone 6 appears to support suggestions that the camera lens will protrude, though only by 0.77mm. Posted by Apple Club in Taiwan, it appears to show a 7mm thick casing with the thickest part of the camera extending 0.77mm beyond this.

Suggestions that the quest for thinness might result in an iPod Touch-style protruding camera lens on the iPhone 6 date back to March, and have been supported by claimed backplate photos as recently as this month. There have, though, been conflicting reports, with one suggestion that Apple would be able to avoid this by restricting optical image stabilization to the larger 5.5-inch model … 

It should be noted that product schematics and prototypes often exaggerate the degree to which particular design elements will be noticeable, witness the difference between an early prototype of the iPod Touch versus the barely-noticeable protruding camera ring on the current model:

Evidence emerged yesterday that the iPhone 6 display will be sharper than that of the iPhone 5s/5c, and that the resolution would allow for more icons to be displayed per screen while retaining Retina resolution (though whether Apple would actually do so is another question).

Sketchier rumors claimed that the phone would support LTE-Advanced, but not the maximum speed of 300Mbps offered by the emerging standard, and repeated the now traditional annual rumor that the latest iPhone will include NFC for wireless payment.

Apple is expected to launch the iPhone 6 at a media event on 9th September.

Via GforGames

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Comments

  1. nelmat - 10 years ago

    This could be the nail in the coffin for me if the leaks are to be believed. I hate the white insulation bands, dislike the larger size and think a protruding camera would be a constant annoyance. Could Apple be about to release something this ugly?

    • Ben Lovejoy - 10 years ago

      Look at a current iPod Touch – it’s scarcely noticeable in reality

    • Kalle (@kallekenkel) - 10 years ago

      Also not a big fan of the insulation (if true) .. And I could not care less about thinness. Just make the phone slightly thicker so the camera does not stick out.. and add battery for the gained space.

    • Stetch (@St3tch) - 10 years ago

      The insulation bands does not bother me as I will most likely use a case.
      But the protruding camera is a bother :/ But not enough annoyance for me to skip this phone.

      • Tim Jr. - 10 years ago

        If you’re using a case.. again, you won’t notice.. this won’t stick out farther than even a very thin TPU case.

        There isn’t a case on the market thats 1mm thick.. maybe a skin.. lol

    • Michael Garnett (@_jorts) - 10 years ago

      Eh, a case will resolve all of those issues for me (and for most people). If I was someone who liked to go caseless it would all bother me a bit more though still far from being a deal breaker.

    • Alex (@Metascover) - 10 years ago

      I don’t like the bands and the protrusion either. But the rest is beautiful.

    • o0smoothies0o - 10 years ago

      People really have to be handed something before they like it, or understand it. Unless they’re highly intelligent I guess. It’s really sad that people think what we’ve seen is exactly how the phone will look. Will it have seamlessly curving edges? Yes. Will there be antenna bands? Probably visible, but NO WHERE NEAR AS CONTRASTING AS THEY ARE NOW. Will it have a slightly protruding camera? Yes, but if you have any case at all you’ll never know, and even if you have no case at all, you’ll likely never have any problem with it.

      People actually say parts are fake if there are scratches/scuffs on them. I mean seriously there’s no hope for humans if they’re that oblivious.

  2. rogifan - 10 years ago

    It’s barely noticeable on the iPod touch and that device is thinner than the rumors iPhone is supposed to be. I can’t be bothered to get worked up over something I haven’t seen. Go back go the iPhone 4 and 5. Photos leaked and everyone screamed “ugly!”. Then the actual phone is released and ugly becomes beautiful.

  3. Chad Gammon - 10 years ago

    I feel like at some point this quest for thinness just gets to be a pain in the @$$. Its harder to hold (easier to drop) when it gets so thin and I am with the other guy that said make it thicker and add more battery life to these devices. Novel idea that will never happen: Add a micro sd slot like the sim tray with that extra space.

    The iPhone 5/5s is plenty thin enough.

    Apple: “The next iPhone, so thin and light that it could slice your fingers off!” Disclaimer: Gloves and other hand protection sold separately.

    • o0smoothies0o - 10 years ago

      Micro SD would be insanely idiotic just letting you know :)

      P.S. You’ll appreciate the thinness and lightness when you hold it. Then you’ll realize why they did that :)

  4. uniszuurmond - 10 years ago

    I don’t use a case, the way Apple intended. Which means:

    1. I will no longer be able to use the phone on a flat surface. Bummer, I would rather the phone be a little thicker than having to deal with the rocking. Don’t tell me to get a case.
    2. I will constantly be faced by those ugly, ugly bands.

    This phone, if true, appears to have focused on function over form, which is very unlike Apple. But it will be popular, because what else is out there?

    • Oh, so you’re telling me you’ve already seen the real iPhone 6. Hmm, tell me about it.

    • troyoverton14 - 10 years ago

      Then get a different phone. Won’t bother me a bit. I’ll take a new iPhone, pick a case and a screen protector, and also plan on getting whatever new iPad (it will be my first one.)

      First world problems…. But in reality the only issue I can sorta see is apple (or anyone, really) designing products with the idea that third party accessories will cover up design “flaws” and that is an acceptable practice.

      • uniszuurmond - 10 years ago

        Interestingly, I’m from a third world country ;-)

      • troyoverton14 - 10 years ago

        ;-) but even so, looking at a $600 cellphone kinda separates you from the majority there, right?

      • uniszuurmond - 10 years ago

        PS: Which is why the absolute near as perfect design is so important. An iPhone will cost more than the monthly instalment of a smallish house. It has to be near as dammit to perfect to swing people of the third world into buying, otherwise they’ll just go for the cheaper Sammy.

      • troyoverton14 - 10 years ago

        Nothing is perfect. People arent perfect, nor do they have the potential to be. If this IS the design, there’s a reason. Let’s see if this is it, and why first. If its a colossal screw-up, Apple will make it right, as they have a history of doing. As for me, I’m getting a case anyway, because I want to minimize the potential of damaging it. Case makers know this, that’s why 3¢ worth of chinese plastic sells for $50.

    • Note the top right side of the antenna band. it is raised a little. this will ensure the phone won’t “Rock”

      • o0smoothies0o - 10 years ago

        HAHAH you can’t be serious. I’ll send you $1000 if they raise the band anywhere to ‘make it not rock’. They wouldn’t do that, and there’s literally a 0% chance of them doing that. Nice observation of a schematic that may or may not be real.

    • Alex (@Metascover) - 10 years ago

      If you are faced by the bands all the time, you are holding it wrong.

    • o0smoothies0o - 10 years ago

      Apple didn’t intend on you using a case, just letting you know. They’d much prefer you didn’t, in fact. Hmm…use a case or drop the phone and have a higher chance of breaking it, and thus replacing it. Yeah I think Apple might want the latter.

  5. Andrew Larsen (@Skidoo23) - 10 years ago

    Just make the phone 1mm thicker, and throw in a slightly larger battery. I’d much rather have that than the protruding camera .

    • o0smoothies0o - 10 years ago

      They’re getting right on that, unfortunately they’ll need to throw away all of the phones they’ve already made, and redesign every process they have and then start again.

  6. Taste_of_Apple - 10 years ago

    Looking at the comments I have to say I sort of agree. While it wouldn’t stop me from upgrading, I love the fact that the camera on previous models is flush. I would love it if they would stick with the current thickness and give users better battery life and a flush camera. The antennae bands aren’t the best – but also not a deal breaker. I’m sure it’s going to be a great device, but unless it’s tweaked a little I may just stick with my 5s, since I love the design and it’s still very much a great phone.

    • o0smoothies0o - 10 years ago

      Here’s the kicker: not 1 person, yes that’s right absolutely 0% of Apple customers outside of the EXTREMELY limited number of engineers they have working on the battery, knows anything about Apple’s battery. Absolutely no one knows what making the battery a tiny bit thicker, would do. How it would affect weight; how it would affect heat; how it would affect the environment; how it would affect the capacity or extra real world life you’d get from it.

      It’s like assuming you know that’s the best option given that you have zero knowledge about it. It’s like giving all climate change solutions to Donald Trump and seeing what he suggests.

      • Taste_of_Apple - 10 years ago

        I was expressing an opinion. Not a fact. I never claimed to know anything about their battery.

  7. Jason - 10 years ago

    Weight is a huge consideration for Apple. If you’re going to make something bigger X & Y, one way to manage weight is to minimize X as much as possible.

    Will people care about a 0.7mm protrusion if it means the new iPhone weighs the same or less than the old? When I first got my hands on an iPhone5, my first impression was it’s remarkable light weight. A sub-115g 4.7″ iPhone would be amazing.

    Also, is it just me or does it look like there’s some kind of groove around the circumference of the ring? Could this be the bayonet lens mount seen in Apple patents this spring?

    • Jason - 10 years ago

      Whoops I meant to minimize Z, the thickness of a device, as much as possible.

  8. Scott Gerber - 10 years ago

    I’m also not impressed with the protruding camera lens and echo the sentiments of many others who would have preferred that Apple make the entire body ever-so-slightly thicker to avoid the protruding lens. The only saving graze would be if it is functional such as a magnetic ring to attach optional camera lenses for photo enthusiasts. Otherwise, I hope these leaks aren’t accurate and the antennae breaks and protruding lens are early prototypes. Even so, I’m in the market for a new iPhone and can’t wait another year for the S model.

  9. Remember the tapered, amazingly thin schematics from a couple years back? I wonder if that wasn’t a scrapped option for this phone, as the taper was from thicker at the top, thinner at the bottom…

  10. troyoverton14 - 10 years ago

    As I stated in another reply:

    Most of us are going to get a case, that will eliminate the “protrusion.” If that’s a dealbreaker, there are other handsets for you to choose from, the iPhone isn’t going anywhere.

    I don’t remember hearing complaints about the tether button that was designed into the new iPod. You can push it in, or leave it out and attach a strap. While I don’t see anyone doing that, how innovative would it be if you could use that same mechanism to alter the focal length of the camera? Push in for the normal fs, and push out for “zolm.” I’m no photographer, so I don’t know if this is even plausible, but Apple does have a tendency to integrate ideas they’ve seen implemented by 3rd parties, and there are a couple manufacturers of lenses that clip on to the iPhone.

    Other than that, the only “issue” I have is that a design firm would allow for “flaws” like this one knowing that they could leverage third party accessories to cover up any shortcomings in their design, wether its a space limitation, or a manufacturing one.

    • o0smoothies0o - 10 years ago

      Actually the loop button on the iPod Touch is the worst thing they’ve done to any of their mobile devices. It was simply added for kids or parents to be more comfortable buying one for their kids. I’ve used it to push in and out because it’s kinda fun, but it’s used by next to know one I bet, and it was simply not at all necessary.

    • herb02135go - 10 years ago

      A real zoom on a camera is a very good idea.
      My S5 allows me to use the volume controls to zoom while shooting video, but it’s digital zoom.

      I’d like to see better integration with camera optics.

      As far as the battery goes, heat is a big problem on the Iphones I’ve owned.
      My S5 battery life is great with no noticeable heat.

      • troyoverton14 - 10 years ago

        I tested an S5(vzw) and while there were things that I liked about it… The screen was no impressive at all. I felt like there must be something wrong with either my eyes or the tester because my Samsung TV looks spectacular, and I know they make a quality product. The color on my sample was just… Off….

      • o0smoothies0o - 10 years ago

        Optical zoom would be a bad idea for multiple reasons, the two main reasons of course: it wouldn’t zoom enough to be useful; it is mechanical and mechanical things break and use energy.

        The S5 has a plastic case, the iPhone has a metal case. Guess which one is more conductive to heat?

  11. iPhone 6 looks exactly like iPod touch. What a shame! There is zero innovation here. And just like the former it will have a protruding camera. Some think the phone will wobble when put on a smooth even surface but it won’t. My iPod touch doesn’t. Apple are out of touch. If they just sat around a computer read what people are saying they would have a better chance of coming up with a beautiful product. I am the biggest Apple fan. But I may go the Note 4 way. I am tired of the Apple arrogance.

    • Alex (@Metascover) - 10 years ago

      “I am the biggest Apple fan.”

      No you are not, quit lying.

      Enjoy your stylus.

    • o0smoothies0o - 10 years ago

      It doesn’t look exactly like the iPod Touch. If you think that, then you are a moron, I’m sorry to tell you. The iPod Touch has a curve at the back, the iPhone 6 has a seamless curve all around every edge. You are clueless clearly. Sorry :(

  12. Peace Epee - 10 years ago

    This is real – one sold on eBay a few days ago. I thought he was a scammer, but these are iPhone 6, replete with ugly seams and protrusions:

  13. tigerpork - 10 years ago

    I have a nexus 5 with a protruding camera. It not annoying at all and you’ll wouldn’t even notice that it’s a problem. I think the thick antenna bands will be more annoyance than the protruding camera.

  14. Truffol (@Truffol) - 10 years ago

    Perhaps Apple will release olloclip-like camera accessories that clip onto the protruding area? Maybe there’s a greater reason behind all this

Author

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Ben Lovejoy

Ben Lovejoy is a British technology writer and EU Editor for 9to5Mac. He’s known for his op-eds and diary pieces, exploring his experience of Apple products over time, for a more rounded review. He also writes fiction, with two technothriller novels, a couple of SF shorts and a rom-com!


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