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'iPhone 4S' Casing Resembles iPhone 4 with Some Antenna Changes

Thursday August 25, 2011 3:52 pm PDT by Arnold Kim
Apple has been rumored to be building a new, cheaper iPhone 4 ("iPhone 4S") alongside the iPhone 5, for an October launch. This iPhone 4S is believed to use different components and less storage to lower manufacturing costs. It appears Apple may have also taken this opportunity to make changes to the antenna design as well.

New "iPhone 4S" part images we've received from iPatchiPods suggest that the iPhone 4S will look much like the iPhone 4, but with some notable differences in the frame.


The mid-frame images above show that this so-called iPhone 4S will have two antenna breaks at the bottom of the casing. This differs from both the AT&T (GSM) iPhone 4 and Verizon (CDMA) iPhone 4. In AT&T's iPhone, the antenna breaks are in two spots, along the lower left side and top left sides. On the Verizon's model they are both at the top sides of the casing.

The reason for the movement of the antenna breaks is to accommodate different frequencies of the different mobile technologies. This "iPhone 4S" appears to have a slot for a SIM card, suggesting that at a minimum it will support the GSM standard like the original AT&T iPhone 4. It is believed the iPhone 5 will support both GSM and CDMA, but we haven't heard anything definitive about the band support for this iPhone 4S.

Also, of note, the mute switch and volume switches are on the same side of this casing, just like the iPhone 4.


The bottom portion of the frame is shown here. As noted by iFixIt's Scott Head, what's most interesting about this part as compared to the iPhone 4 part, is the lack of any defined "Home Button" area. The corresponding iPhone 4 part shows a cut-out area for the Home Button. It's hard to draw an conclusions from this, but there has been a lot of speculation that Apple could be changing the Home Button area on the iPhone 5.

There still may be some confusion in the parts supply chain about what pieces are intended for what devices, but iPatchiPods' source does believe that these mid-frames are intended for the cheaper revision of the iPhone 4.
[ 89 comments ]


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Tiger8
94 months ago

So what does the "S" stand for in the name?


sex
Rating: 8 Votes
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rerelease
94 months ago

So what does the "S" stand for in the name?


Sdual core.
Rating: 8 Votes
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thecartoonguy
94 months ago
Is it me or does it look like that it's just flipped over?
Rating: 6 Votes
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ogremoustro
94 months ago
Both frame pictures are from the "iPhone 4S".
One from the front and the other from the back.
Rating: 6 Votes
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hobo.hopkins
94 months ago

Is it me or does it look like that it's just flipped over?


I think that these are both images of the supposed next-generation iPhone frame.
Rating: 5 Votes
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arn
94 months ago
the two photos are just side by side of the same part.

the difference in size is just difference in photos

arn
Rating: 5 Votes
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DrJohnnyN
94 months ago

What's your problem? I was implicitly questioning the accuracy of those claims, the idea that the other new form factor is definitely the iPhone 5 and that this is a 4S. Can you read...or write?


What's your name? Couldn't tell from your signature. :p
Rating: 4 Votes
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DrJohnnyN
94 months ago

Is it just me or reading about Apple rumors after a day of Jobs resignation feels a bit strange?


The show goes on.
Rating: 4 Votes
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frederikolafsen
94 months ago
I could see this happening, and it coincides with other rumors: iPhone 4, as we know it, becomes the cheaper iCloud phone, but in a new 4S flavor (goodbye old iPhone 4). Then, they release the new phone to replace the $199 and $299 iPhone 4s - the new iPhone 5. It makes sense to me. And as far as Apple's concerned, they've then filled the "cheap" phone avenue with this redesigned iPhone 4S (with better battery, antenna, and display?), and you've released the mouth-watering new iPhone 5 that people are hoping for. Thoughts?
Rating: 3 Votes
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AIP5
94 months ago
Interesting.

Definitely the best part about this is that there's a missing home button area. I'm hoping for a home button redesign... swiping left and right on the elongated home button = switching between apps like in Lion and iPad!

I swear, if Joshua Topolsky is right about the info he posted all the way back a couple of months ago: Larger screen, complete redesign featuring tear drop, elongated home button, etc, is true...

Edit: Btw, anyone else wondering how a big part like this ever got out of the factory? It makes sense to see the leaked small parts, but wow... trying to conceal this while trying to sneak it out...
Rating: 3 Votes

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