14 DAY TRIAL // The next iPhone about to be unveiled has been personally designed by Steve Jobs, at least in part, according to people with knowledge of the situation speaking to Bloomberg.
Apple has reportedly tapped suppliers for larger screens this time around. The phone has Steve Jobs’ fingerprints on it, as the CEO worked closely with Apple’s design team before the pancreatic cancer ultimately claimed his life.
The report reinforces claims of Apple having worked on the phone even before the 4S was unveiled in October, last year.
“Jobs, who had gone on medical leave from Apple starting last January, played a key role in developing the phone,” reports Bloomberg, citing one of the people involved with the project.
The next-generation iPhone is expected to launch this fall. In addition to the larger screen, other technical changes will reportedly include a redesigned dock connector, LTE / 4G cellular networking, a complete redesign of the chassis, a potentially improved set of cameras on the front and back of the phone, and likely more.
The chassis could be crafted from Liquidmetal, a material to which Apple has exclusive rights for use in its products.
The amorphous metal alloy permits sleek and durable designs, eliminating joints and screws as the material is twisted and bent under pressure, and finally molded to achieve sharp corners, seams, etc.
It is believed that this year’s iPhone refresh was actually planned for 2011, when Apple launched the iPhone 4S looking identical to its predecessor, the iPhone 4. Production hurdles reportedly forced Apple to postpone the major redesign for a year.
The smartphone will launch pre-installed with iOS 6, according to post pundits voicing their opinions on the matter. The software itself may be unveiled as early as next month at Apple’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference.