You'd think -- starting from the moment you saw the glossy sheen of the iPhone 3G S to the waning seconds of this year's WWDC keynote when you realized that there would be no magical second model announced -- that the near-constant drone of matte iPhone rumors leading up to this week's festivities were all fake. But were they really? It's been astutely noted by @cabel (yes, we just threw out a Twitter handle there) that the
matte black backing seen last month has totally matching information -- model number and FCC ID alike -- with the
actual device. We suppose it could just be an unfinished component, but as
Daring Fireball notes, this could mean that Apple toyed with a matte finish early in the 3G S' design but ultimately abandoned it -- or even more intriguingly, it could've been a unique one-off trap designed to identify leakers who'd otherwise tried to hide their identities. It sounds like a pretty far-fetched conspiracy theory at first, yes -- but we're aware of at least one wireless carrier that actively puts out bogus information to achieve the same effect, and you might remember that Microsoft was rumored to have done the same thing with prototype Zunes back in the day. Either way, it's a crying shame, because that glossless finish has left an indelible mark on our hearts that won't soon heal.
[Via
Daring Fireball, matte iPhone picture via
MacRumors]
posted Jun 10th 2009 11:16PM
I would much prefer the Matte to gloss...Just like on the MacBook line.
i agree. i will always prefer something that wont show my finger prints all over it :)
nor crack...
@AnotherIphonearticle, yes i just threw a twitter handle
the matte black is cool but that still doesn't change the fact that it is locked down to apple and at&t. so the iPhone is still a fail in my eyes.
Is this the right thread to complain about not being able to change my avatar?
No? Ok, then where?
Yup, gloss sucks. Go matte!
The FCC patent gives that number for 32GB but the picture in matte shows a 16GB iPhone, why has no one else noticed that so far?
Different sized models (8gb, 16gb) do not have separate FCC IDs.
Sorry for double post, but just to prove here's a quick comparison between an 8gb and 16gb black iphone 3g
http://www.flickr.com/photos/naspir/3160372740/ 8gb
http://www.flickr.com/photos/daz4590/2802889443/ 16gb
http://www.flickr.com/photos/zoerochelle/2665761219/ and a white 16gb (you have to look closely)
so yeah, the early pics were legit.
Hmm....
Does it look the same because the form factor is pretty much identical to the 3G or am I missing something?
Minor updates every year. They will hold on to this for next year's release. Same iphone, same b/s service from AT&T..NOW IN MATTE!!!! BUY NOW!!!
Cool.
I think you summed it up for just about everyone.
A matte finish with a light toothy feel like that rubberized stuff would have been amazing.
Don't know what you mean by "toothy", but a ThinkPad skin coating would be awesome.
But then it's hard to fit it in your oh-so-fashionable tight pants pockets!
Maybe toothy was a bad adjective. Similar coating that is on the back of my Harmony 550 remote. It's a non-slip rubberized material.
matte finish? no problem, just tack another $100 or so and you got yourself a deal.
I don't thonk that's the case, because why would there be shiny writing on something that is going to be covered?
love my harmony 550 feel! but love the glossy 3G more, I keep a micofiber in my bag at all times ;)
A finish like the original Zune would be nice.
...Yep, that's right. I just said that.
I think it's the same cover as 3GS's. Look at 3GS's cover, all marks are not on surface they are deeper and on matte cover they are on surface. I think it's just unfinished cover and they put some kind of varnish on it to be glossy.
Maybe that's before it gets covered in the glossy coating?
gonna guess that this is it
Agreed. If you noticed on the iPhones, the text doesn't have any sort of texture when you rub your finger over it. This probably has to do with the gloss coating that is applied after the case and text have been finalized during the manufacturing process. The picture seems to show a bit of raised texture from the text, indicating that it was a picture taken before the finished product. I guess conspiracies are fun, though.
Obviously, this is ATT's fault.
Hahah... they are a good scapegoat for just about anything.
Should I start whining about this iPhone article, since Apple lovers always have to chime in on Blackberry/Pre/etc posts?
"IPHONE IS SO MUCH BETTER THAN BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH WHY ARE YOU EVEN TALKING ABOUT THOSE PHONES!!!
THEY ARE NOT WORTHY BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH!
All hail Jobs! All hail Jobs! Our supreme leader! Hail!"
etc. etc.
Twitter @Kr3st
I might have been sold if they came out with the matte one.
I would rather a matte iPhone, thats why I like my first-gen iPhone over the 3G. I still think I'm gonna upgrade to the 3GS anyway.
Just get a silicon skin.
Silicone
@cabel must have read about this on macrumors yesterday -
http://www.macrumors.com/2009/06/09/leaked-matte-case-was-a-real-iphone-3g-s-case/
They're probably just using up their supply of glossy before screwing over the early adopters yet again. My 1st gen 8GB will be sticking around for a while longer.
A slightly rubber version would be nice
Remember the "September Special event" (Steve Jobs return) rumor?...
Could the iPhone 3GS just be an iPhone 3G update?!
Could this mat finish iPhone be the real new iPhone V3 who could coming in a few month?!
I know, this sounds crazy (and suicidal for Apple) but i expect everything from Apple by now.... ^^
Steve Jobs is set to return in the end of this month. And obviously you're wrong, Apple has no interest in pissing on customers nor connect Apple's image even more to Steve Jobs.. ;)
if that were the case, then they would not have bothered to update the processor and ram so heavily IMO. remember, when talking single core mhz, an increase from 412 (?) to 600 is not too shabby. lol, my old dell with Windows ME has the same specs as the new iphone!
If you take the original photo that MacRumors posted and enlarge them in photoshop, there is a distinct difference between the pixels of the matte case and the iPhone text and FCC markings. This leads me to believe that it was a hoax to determine (like others have said) where the leaked information was coming from.
Follow the links below to see the image enlarged:
http://www.nic-mc.com/iPhone/text.png
That difference is called JPEG compression buddy.
This is often due in part to compression. I remember this mentioned when the original was posted. Over compression creates artifacts around things like text. This is just more visible due to the contrast.
depending on how the photo was taken, original compression, and then processing compression. -> "save for web" does this. That's how you get smaller files.
It's just not likely to be a photoshop job specifically because of that. If anything, it would have been a one off prototype whipped up by the casing manufacturer. Once molds are made, it's easy to change similar material types, colours and coatings.
It's disappointing though that the retail version isn't matte. :(
and also. man, I wish people would stop all the anti/pro apple agruements. sigh... gadget site, it's a popular gadget (available here), lots of people want to read it. get over it.
Well, if the progression on the iPod line is any indication, Apple definitely has a features road map for the evolving iPhone line as well. Apple is not going to give the consumers all the things they want in just one iteration. I believe that the other features that have been rumored may very well be true, they just didn't make it to the 3GS version, Apple are saving them for future generations of iPhones.
Am I the only one who feels only Apple would get away with such rubbish as their fan base will blow tiny updates way out of proportion? To be fair the fans here on Engadget were even more muted about this phone...a lot of "meh" reactions was what I saw. But searching for #WWDC on Twitter and all I saw was "AWSEOME!!" and "I'm SOOOO getting one!!!" I promptly unfollowed Veronica Belmont when she started gushing about what is a phone catching up with features other smart phones have had for years. We as consumers rely on objective tech "experts" but it just seems like fan boys who decided to start thier own online companies and found themselves with large audiences.
And this is on Engadget why?
I wouldn't be surprised if Apple leaked rumors to spike up share prices.
Nice catch, Daring Fireball.
My contact at Best Buy Mobile says the Matte edition is the future Verizon Wireless version of the phone!
I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say that, more likely than not, nobody at Best Buy Mobile is privy to that sort of information.
Even if this were true, there would be no conceivable reason for Apple to let Best Buy know about their plans with Verizon this far in advance.
I've been using the incipio feather case which has a matte finish and adds almost no extra thickness. It's awesome! http://www.myincipio.com/product/IPHONE_3G_IPH-360/Black_Ultra_Light_Feather_Slim_Form_Fitted_Case_for_iPhone_3G_3GS.html
How is it? I got the Power Support version and returned it because it was too hard to use the volume button.
It's great! Super thin, so there's nothing in the way of the buttons. And it has an amazing matte, almost soft feel to it, but doesn't scratch or leave finger prints. I've had it for 6 months and it doesn't have a mark on it! I'm guess these will fit the new 3GS since the case isn't changing.
I would've preferred matte just for a change, and the new oleophobic coating prevents the screen from getting so many fingerprints, so it would suit the iPhone 3GS to do a fingerprint-less back and I wouldn't mind the solid colour ring instead of chrome ring around the edge.
Wait... is @cabel the guy that had the brilliant DS lite preview videos on YouTube?
Cool...
"You take the blue pill and the story ends. You wake in your bed and believe whatever ** you want to believe. **"
Engadget: you should have took the red pill...
Maybe they decided to change last minute, or deliberately had some matte ones made also to fool the leakers into leaking the wrong versions out!
I'm thinking it's just a coating Apple finishes their prototypes with :-/
http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/08/11/18/reseller_sells_early_macbook_air_prototype_on_ebay.html
everyone complains about fingerprints, but didn't they fix that with the new gel covering they used. (i read that somewhere, could be wrong though.)
@Joe:
I doubt it's for Verizon. At this time, it's not viable for Apple to make even more custom iPhones. Already, they're creating 5+ iPhone models in the US alone (iPhone 3G 8gig, iPhone 3GS 16gig black and white, and iPhone 3GS 32gig black and white). I'm not sure, but I can only assume things are slightly different in the phones overseas as far as manufacturing them as well.
Creating a line if iPhones with Verizon would force Apple to create up to another 5 different iPhones. It just doesn't make sense to manufacture 10+ models of the same phone. Plus, at this time, I don't see ATT letting Apple out of being the exclusive carrier of the iPhone, ESPECIALLY not to their biggest competitor in the states, regardless of ATT slow pace with tethering and MMS abilities. Also, why would Apple waste money developing a phone for CDMA when Verizon is moving over to 4G in the next 1-2 years.
And just my 2 cents, I HATE Verizon and all they stand for. I hate their phones, their customer service, their Fios internet, their Fios cable, their land lines, and pretty much everything they've ever done. I can't tell you how many times my family has been dicked over by those bastards! So in conclusion, I don't want to see my favorite gadget manufacturer creating a must have items for the God-Damn Devil.
@Link12245:
The fingerprints as far as the screen goes will become a thing of the past. They implemented an "oleophobic" coating on to the new iPhone 3GS screens which repels oils from your fingers. So instead of needing a damp cloth to remove smudges and fingerprints, only a wipe from a dry cloth is needed. It's both easy and safer for the iPhone which has a history of being very sensitive to water.
could this be a not-yet release version?
Probably a +$100 option.
Well if its not fake then isn't there a chance it's for wire-free charging like the Pre? Perhaps they'll bring out an expensive accessory later in the year and you'll have to visit an apple store to get the back replaced with a non-slip matt version...
Going to throw this out there and see what people think. Could it be that this matte finish is the glossy black before the finger print resistant coating? hmmmmmmmm
Maybe they're waiting for the winter holidays to release the matte?
Anyone rerember seeing the prototype iPhone with the matte screen? Maybe the ones they make for testing/FCC don't need the fancy gloss since they're for testing and leave them matte
Plastic part tooling is much more expensive for glossy parts (you have to polish the tool, and tool life degrades due to possible scuffing, etc.), so they probably had proto runs in just bead blast finish for cost purposes.
n00bs