New iPhone rumors: 20% thinner with 4-inch screen and Gorilla Glass 2

The new iPhone is likely still several months away but information pertaining to the next generation Apple handset is already making the rounds. The latest news on the new iPhone / iPhone 5 / whatever you want to call it comes courtesy of iLounge’s Jeremy Horwitz.

The editor claims that Apple has abandoned the long-rumored teardrop design that most thought would be introduced on the iPhone 4S. Instead, we are told to expect another glass-bodied design that’s somewhat similar to what’s already available on the current generation smartphone. Speaking of glass, Apple will be using Gorilla Glass 2 on sections of the phone. This second generation glass is just as strong as the original but in a thinner sheet.

The new iPhone is expected to be longer and thinner than the 4S, measuring in at roughly 125mm by 58.5mm by 7.7mm. These dimensions make the phone about 10mm taller than the 4S and roughly 2mm thinner while the width is largely unchanged. As a result of the increased height, the phone will ship with a 4-inch screen and for the first time since the original iPhone, there will be a new aspect ratio.

The back of the phone will be a departure from the norm as well. iLounge says that Apple will be adding a metal panel to the middle of the back. The panel will be completely flat and made of metal, not ceramic.

The final big change is a new dock connector. This was rumored to be included on the new iPad but that never actually happened. The new connector is said to be slightly larger than the speaker holes on the iPhone 4 and 4S and look more like a small pill with rounded edges. The change will start with the new iPhone and eventually encompass all iOS devices moving forward.

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Posted in: 4inch,Glass,Gorilla,iPhone,rumors,screen,thinner

Patent suggests Apple's haptic feedback may reshape your screen

RIM, long-time purveyor of fine QWERTY phones, has finally decided it's time to abandon physical keyboards. With that in mind, it appears we're entering a point of no return for such input devices as they continue to steadily disappear from the mobile universe. So, what's a keyboard enthusiast to do? if this patent is any indication, Apple may feel it has the answer.

Haptic technology is a way for touchscreen manufacturers to deliver physical feedback when a user touches a button, tries to type using an on-screen keyboard or otherwise interacts with the images generated on their touch-screen display. When it comes to having no physical keyboard, haptic feedback seems like the best available compromise but it's difficult to call it a substitute. Thus far, the haptics found on most smartphones are little more than a quick vibration -- merely an industry platitude, honestly.

Apple's solution intends to use a combination of flexible OLED display technology and piezoelectric actuators that would actually alter the contour of your screen. It would also take into account sensor data to determine usage context, providing situationally-appropriate feedback.

For example, a device featuring such technology could raise the surface area of each letter for an on-screen keyboard while entering input into a text field. This would give any software-based input instrument a distinct feel and contour for each key or button. When the user is finished typing, the surface of the screen would return its normal, planar state.

While companies patent all sorts of crazy things, it was just a couple of months ago that Apple patented the early workings of this idea. However, the latest patent filing improves upon the design and serves as evidence that Apple continues to investigate haptic feedback for its future, touch-enabled devices.

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Posted in: Apples,feedback,haptic,Patent,reshape,screen,suggests