14 DAY TRIAL // A new set of building specifications has been leaked by one of Apple’s assembly partners, leading to the creation of a new physical mockup which presumably bears the end design of the handset. The thickness has changed from previously leaked mockups, suggesting that the phone will not be as thin as initially thought.
The physical mockup in question is showed in dozens of photos courtesy of Nowhereelse.fr. According to the site’s source (apparently the person whose hands can be seen holding the case mold in the photos), the handset is 138mm (5.4 inches) tall, 67mm (2.6 inches) wide, and measures just 7mm (0.27 inches) in depth.
That’s almost one full millimeter thicker than the previously claimed 6.1mm (0.24-inch) spec dished out by UnboxTherapy while testing an alleged iPhone 6 protective case against the iPod touch fifth-generation. Because the case matched Apple’s portable player perfectly, the reviewers assumed that the iPhone 6 would be just as thick (or thin).
However, no one said the iPhone 6 protective case was accurately built, but the 7mm specification isn’t confirmed either, so we’ll have to wait and see who was right and who was wrong.
Some things we can definitely expect from the iPhone 6 this year are a much thinner profile, a larger screen, and some relocated buttons on the handset, such as the Sleep/Wake button which will reportedly migrate from the top to one of the phone’s sides. All of this is possible (and caused at the same time) by the increase in overall size.
In all fairness, 7 millimeters (0.27 inches) is still thin, but not much thinner than the current-generation iPhone 5s, which measures 7.6 mm (0.30 inches) in depth.
Don’t expect the phone to be any lighter than the current-selling iPhones either. Since the iPhone 6 isn’t going to be much thinner, the increased overall size of the handset will undoubtedly add some extra heft. The iPhone 5s weighs 112 grams (3.95 ounces). You can expect the new model to go beyond 120 grams (4.2 ounces), considering that Apple will reportedly use metal for the casing yet again.
The display will be covered in sapphire and, depending on the thickness of the sheet of glass, will add its own heft to the tally. All in all, don’t expect the iPhone Air some of you have been dreaming about, if these images are any indication. Apple will probably touch the 6mm (0.23in) mark next year.