White iPhone 4 casing shows up in yet more photos

Steve Jobs didn't seem too upset over the story of the lost / stolen iPhone 4 last night at D8, so we're sure he won't mind that yet more parts for his next-gen phone have leaked out -- this time PowerBookMedic.com has scored the white version of the casing. As usual, the Engadget staff is now in a fierce and somewhat disturbingly violent debate over the relative style merits of black and white iPhones, so don't look for us to get much done for the rest of the day. Many more pics at the source link.

[safe travels Posted Jun 2nd 2010 2:34PM]

get it together apple, are you giving these away or something?

[a dumb cat Posted Jun 2nd 2010 2:37PM]

@safe travels

Why do they continue to make the back out of plastic? The original iphone had a cool metal back imo. Looks kinda cheap and bulky.

[rutter9 Posted Jun 2nd 2010 2:38PM]

@safe travels

Look it's the iBlewIt featuring 4.fail

[hulahoophugs Posted Jun 2nd 2010 2:39PM]

@a dumb cat I'm pretty sure it was to improve reception

[Ineptune Posted Jun 2nd 2010 2:40PM]

@a dumb cat
Once again, CERAMIC. Not plastic.

[Ineptune Posted Jun 2nd 2010 2:40PM]

@rutter9
Oh that's original.

[a dumb cat Posted Jun 2nd 2010 2:40PM]

@hulahoophugs

Aluminum wouldn't have that problem. Look at MBP's that have unibody aluminum casing. Strange design move...

[macmann Posted Jun 2nd 2010 2:41PM]

@safe travels
Yeah, something weird is going on with all these leaks.
How awesome would it be if this turned out to not be the next iPhone?

[crawdad689 Posted Jun 2nd 2010 2:42PM]

@a dumb cat

It looks like a glass (or substrate) backing, identical to the FRONT of the iPhone.

I think it looks awesome. I'm sure this piece feels awesome in your hands. If it has 80GB capacity as rumored (or even if it only has 64GB), I'm sold. I just wish they could have given the damn thing a 4+ inch screen. WHY APPLE, WHY????

[rutter9 Posted Jun 2nd 2010 2:43PM]

@Ineptune

just as original as the new features.

I've had a 3gs since last summer. Not impressed. They never added the magic I suppose...

[safe travels Posted Jun 2nd 2010 2:44PM]

@a dumb cat
wifi is always a pretty strong signal, 3g is not. MPB's obviously don't have 3g (though it would be cool if they did!) and even so, they've repositioned the wifi antennas in the recent models to improve reception. US complaints about iphone reception almost outnumber the rave reviews, there's no way they could make it metal.

[safe travels Posted Jun 2nd 2010 2:45PM]

@crawdad689
then they couldn't have had the highst ppi in the industry. also think of all the iphone/pod docks that would make it incompatible with. 3.5inch iphone is selling pretty well, so yeah, that's why.

[steel Posted Jun 2nd 2010 2:47PM]

@Ineptune

You know what would be nice? An entire phone with Gorilla glass on every surface. That will take care of scratches. next, fingerprints...

[Niklasnick Posted Jun 2nd 2010 2:49PM]

@safe travels
Maybe unserious-press/newsblog-inofficial-conference-givaways.

[drakino Posted Jun 2nd 2010 2:57PM]

@a dumb cat The Aluminum Unibody macbooks place the antenna for WiFi and Bluetooth in the one place where there is no aluminum cover, the screen hinge. It's that big black bar visible when looking at the bottom or back side of a system.

The iPad even hides the WiFi antenna behind the plastic Apple logo on the rear, and 3G models include a black plastic strip full of antennas.

Apple tried for years to improve antenna reception inside metal cases. It has failed to work well again and again. Plastic, or ceramic for the iPhone 4g means better reception then going to a solid metal case.

[agraham999 Posted Jun 2nd 2010 3:00PM]

@a dumb cat it isn't plastic...it is ceramic.

[werty1432k Posted Jun 2nd 2010 3:02PM]

@safe travels Right now I'd say about 70% of the wonder we get from WWDC keynotes is lost.

[alext Posted Jun 2nd 2010 3:06PM]

@Ineptune

Once you got one you'll know it's plastic

[Khattab Posted Jun 2nd 2010 3:22PM]

@macmann

How cool would it be if Jason Chen would enter the stage as a "surpise guest" at WWDC and present the new 4G? Would show the wourld that Apple don't s*ck d*ck.

[blenderman345 Posted Jun 2nd 2010 3:30PM]

@safe travels: I actually like this, and always liked white iPhones more than black iPhones. Sounds so racist, but it's true.

[K3V1Nbot Posted Jun 2nd 2010 3:40PM]

@a dumb cat In MBP, under the screen? Notice the black matte like material? U can find that on the ipod touch, ipad, n iphone first gen back bottom? Thats for reception, n theyre not putting the aluminium bcoz u would have to have a long black bezel like that for the new iphone, it wont b pretty n it wont hav a good reception as the current ones...

[zeroinfinity2 Posted Jun 2nd 2010 3:41PM]

@blenderman345

I agree.. This new iPhone is shaping up to be nice. It's a shame that bloggers are blogging the sh*t out of it, ruining the mystique.

[waderade Posted Jun 2nd 2010 4:04PM]

@a dumb cat

Cell phone reception, bra.

Metal doesn't do as well.

[Kid Red Posted Jun 2nd 2010 4:45PM]

@a dumb cat You mean like EVERY CELL PHONE? Which cell phones AREN'T made of any plastic?

[RandomGuy Posted Jun 2nd 2010 4:59PM]

@a dumb cat So that the radio waves do not get blocked by the cool metal back. The plastic is more practical in this regards.

[safe travels Posted Jun 2nd 2010 5:02PM]

@Kid Red
original iphone, htc legend. there's a few. still, largely speaking, i'd much rather have better reception than metal. hopefully they'll figure it out properly one day. today is not that day.

[recharged95 Posted Jun 2nd 2010 5:14PM]

@Ineptune

White is the shizzle, but ceramic?

Apple then has truly perfected the phone that completely shatters if you drop it, not only the screen.

[recharged95 Posted Jun 2nd 2010 5:18PM]

@drakino
"Apple tried for years to improve antenna reception inside metal cases"

Can't alter Physics, though are they taking the "think-different" a bit overboard?


And Faraday continues to roll in his cage.

[Tony Posted Jun 2nd 2010 5:32PM]

@recharged95 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zirconium_dioxide
It's much more durable than its pottery sibling, but still considered a ceramic. I'm not saying it's going to be crack proof, but I doubt it'll shatter like your crafts project in high school.

[gw812 Posted Jun 2nd 2010 10:35PM]

@Tony
Newp - it won't shatter, but have you ever chipped a tooth? It'll be like that.

[gw812 Posted Jun 2nd 2010 10:37PM]

@gw812

[gw812 Posted Jun 2nd 2010 10:39PM]

@gw812
AAH! Stupid comment machine thinking I'm typing HTML and ruining my witty banter!

I'll now go off and develop/patent the iFilling...

[r121 Posted Jun 3rd 2010 1:40AM]

@safe travels

Hope this is not the next iphone, the face looks very out dated and not in fashion.

[nipponJ Posted Jun 2nd 2010 2:36PM]

well i guess this is the real thing after all..cant wait till next week

[a dumb cat Posted Jun 2nd 2010 2:36PM]

Plastic is a turn off. What happened to the metal back of the original iphone? I thought those looked cooler.

[Ineptune Posted Jun 2nd 2010 2:37PM]

@a dumb cat

Pretty sure it's ceramic, or something like that, no?

[NoAddedSugar Posted Jun 2nd 2010 2:38PM]

@a dumb cat I am still enjoying my 2G but the dents and marks on the metal back have made me cry out for a case, it hasn't held up together very nicely. But it is made of a quite soft metal, i am positive they could have done better with that.

[safe travels Posted Jun 2nd 2010 2:38PM]

@a dumb cat
it's ceramic. and iphone reception is so poor on at&t, imagine what it would be like with metal casing. not that i have these problems on vodaphone uk ;)

[VAreAct Posted Jun 2nd 2010 4:09PM]

@safe travels
If you have vodaphone, how can you say at&t reception sucks? Did you own 2 iphone's one at&t and one vodaphone and hold them side by side to determine that? no, didn't think so.

[DougieBear Posted Jun 2nd 2010 5:29PM]

@Ineptune

Indeed it looks almost architectural, but its shock resistance is a concern for me.

[Diko Posted Jun 2nd 2010 6:02PM]

@safe travels Nerm... you do know that antennas are metal right?... and now imagine a whole case as antenna...

booya reception!

[ebgolfin Posted Jun 2nd 2010 6:38PM]

@safe travels

The reception is poor? I guess someone forgot to tell that to my 2G and my 3GS...

[Tentcityanthem Posted Jun 7th 2010 5:42AM]

@a dumb cat Stop Trolling. You keep repeating the "Stop using plastic, it's crap"

[NoAddedSugar Posted Jun 2nd 2010 2:37PM]

I am excited about the (possibly?) removable fascias, I want one in orange now.

[Solid Gray Fox Posted Jun 2nd 2010 2:38PM]

@NoAddedSugar

Apples & Oranges... two different things!

[werty1432k Posted Jun 2nd 2010 3:06PM]

@NoAddedSugar I hadn't thought of that before for this iPhone. Thing is, from what we've seen, the white iPhone also has a white front plate meaning we will probably see only white and black to match its front plate. No orange front plate = no orange back plate.

Still a cool idea though which hasn't been talked about much.

[NoAddedSugar Posted Jun 2nd 2010 3:15PM]

@werty1432k I'm quite hopeful for this, remembering the previous white face iPhone shown the front fascia was somewhat disconnected (popped out), unless the screen is directly attached it looks quite possible.
Have to wait for the iFixit teardowns, i like customising my phones and this somewhat opens up another door thankfully.

[Sherifftruman Posted Jun 2nd 2010 3:39PM]

Too bad my wife can't use an iPhone capacitive touch screen with her fingernails. The possibility that she could get one in orange would be too much for her to overcome. She is a huge University of Tennessee fan.

I myself wondered why they would not make it in silver to go with the aluminum sides. It would at least come close to the metal look so many people want and preserve the wireless performance as AT&T needs all the help it can get.

Maybe the aftermarket will make colored front and back parts.

[Snarf101 Posted Jun 2nd 2010 2:37PM]

They should make em like the N8, in multiple colors. Would be totally legit.

[SolidSnake Posted Jun 2nd 2010 2:37PM]

Man, Apple is leaking parts left and right..
LOL.
All your prototypes are belong to us.