WWDC 2018 takes place June 4 to June 8 in San Jose, California.
Apple Unlikely to Use Liquidmetal Alloys as Major Design Material for Several Years
With many hoping that Apple will undertake a significant redesign effort for the next-generation iPhone, scattered claims have fueled speculation that Apple might base the design on amorphous metal alloys from Liquidmetal Technologies. Apple acquired exclusive rights to Liquidmetal's technologies for use in consumer electronics back in 2010, but so far as used the metal only in the iPhone 3G SIM removal tool.
Atakan Peker, one of the inventors of Liquidmetal alloys, reports in a new interview with Business Insider that Apple is unlikely to use the alloys as a major component for at least two to four years. The company may find uses for Liquidmetal alloys in minor capacities before that time, as it did with the SIM removal tool, but mass production on the scale needed for full device casings is still some time off.
Atakan Peker, one of the inventors of Liquidmetal alloys, reports in a new interview with Business Insider that Apple is unlikely to use the alloys as a major component for at least two to four years. The company may find uses for Liquidmetal alloys in minor capacities before that time, as it did with the SIM removal tool, but mass production on the scale needed for full device casings is still some time off.
Q: I've heard rumors that future MacBooks from Apple could use Liquidmetal casing, what would that be like? Is it likely to happen?While Peker does not have direct knowledge of Apple's plans for Liquidmetal alloys, he does expect that the company will seek to make a major impact with it and to use it in a breakthrough product down the road. In Peker's view, Apple will likely take advantage of the alloys' strength and durability, as well as the ease with which they can be cast into complex shapes, to bring a unique product to the market.
A: Given the size of MacBook and scale of Apple products, I think it's unlikely that Liquidmetal casing will be used in MacBooks in the near term. It's more likely in the form of small component such as a hinge or bracket. A MacBook casing, such as a unibody, will take two to four more years to implement.
[ 90 comments ]
Top Rated Comments
(View all)
79 months ago
I guess maybe I'm confused or just don't fully understand the benefits of Liquidmetal, but what's the big deal about this? The current batch of Apple products all seem pretty solid. Both my iPhone 4S and iPad 2 have taken drops to hard floors and came away with barely a scratch. What are the benefits of switching from the current materials to Liquidmetal?
Extreme bounciness. Not only will you have to pick up your damaged iPhone, you will have to chase it down the street!
79 months ago
So the MacBook is too big for the material? Okay... what about the iPhone??
79 months ago
So... Skynet gets put off a few more years?
I think it's too late for thatÂ…
----------
I guess maybe I'm confused or just don't fully understand the benefits of Liquidmetal, but what's the big deal about this? The current batch of Apple products all seem pretty solid. Both my iPhone 4S and iPad 2 have taken drops to hard floors and came away with barely a scratch. What are the benefits of switching from the current materials to Liquidmetal?
Super bouncy iPhones of course!
[media=youtube]rOEBR3DcqN0[/media]
79 months ago
The title should read - "Apple unlikely to design anything at all for several years"
WANT NEW IMAC
WANT NEW IMAC
79 months ago
The title should read - "Apple unlikely to design anything at all for several years"
WANT NEW IMAC
It's actually weird to think about but wow, Apple really hasn't had a new design in a while. iPhone 4 was 2010, MBP was 2008, MBA was 2010, iPad was early 2011 (the 2012 ipad wasn't a redesign), iMac was, well, I don't even remember. But I'm sure Sir Jonathan Ives and his team have some great designs coming out the near future! :D
79 months ago
I think it's too late for thatÂ…
Image (http://shirtshovel.com/products/internet/skynet-434.jpg)
----------
Super bouncy iPhones of course!
YouTube: video (http://youtube.com/watch?v=rOEBR3DcqN0)
So 240p, we meet again...
79 months ago
Anyone know what the major benefit/advancement of this material is? I haven't heard anything concrete about what it really does.
Liquidmetal doesn't harden into a crystalline molecular structure like most metals and metal alloys do. It behaves almost like plastic in that it can be heated until it gets soft, then pressed into a complex shape. It doesn't have to be completely melted into a liquid and then poured into a mold like most metals.
So what's the advantage? Well, first of all, you don't need to heat Liquidmetal all the way up to its melting point to shape it. Less energy required. Second, because it never becomes a runny liquid, it's somewhat easier to control and to press into complex shapes. That means simpler molding and few if any grinding/drilling steps, which take time and energy and require additional machinery.
Other advantages include corrosion resistance and scratch resistance. Disadvantages include cost (at least in the original formulation) because of platinum being part of the formula.
[ Read All Comments ]
After a slow rollout began in March, Pandora today announced that all Premium tier subscribers can now access their own personalized music playlists. Similar to Apple Music and Spotify, Pandora's...
Last December, The Walt Disney Company outlined plans to acquire 21st Century Fox and a collection of its subsidiaries for $52.4 billion in stock. Those plans have been under regulatory scrutiny...
Apple has launched a new Data and Privacy website that enables users to request a copy of all of the data associated with their Apple ID accounts that the company maintains on its servers. The page...
Facebook today updated its mobile Marketplace to include home service professionals, such as house cleaners, plumbers, and contractors.
The company says that Marketplace will integrate with...
Apple supplier Foxconn Technology Group is making a shift in its expansion plans to Wisconsin in the United States, where it will now produce small to medium-size displays for Apple and other...
Apple now allows its customers to download a copy of their personally identifiable data from Apple apps and services. This can include purchase or app usage history, Apple Music and Game Center...
Date-based note taking app Agenda, which we covered in one of our recent lists of top macOS apps, is expanding to iOS devices on May 29 and can be pre-ordered now.
Unlike other note taking apps...
With the 2016 MacBook Pro, Apple introduced an all-new design that incorporates a Touch Bar, a small touch-sensitive OLED display that offers up contextual controls depending on what you're doing...
