According to a new supply chain rumor out of Taiwan, Apple’s ‘iPhone 7’ will be waterproof and feature a brand new antenna-concealing technology that will hide those unsightly antenna bands which iPhone 6/6s owners have been complaining about.
The latest report, coming from Taiwan’s Economic Times and surfaced by DigiTimes, echoes some previous rumors that have already begun making the rounds, but also floats another design choice that Apple could be utilizing for the upcoming handset. Specifically, the report focuses on the supplier of the chassis for Apple’s upcoming handset, stating that Catcher Technologies will be the main supplier for the body of the handset.
That frame is said to be waterproof, and implement new technologies that will help conceal the device’s antennas. That includes “new compound materials” to achieve that goal, which could mean Apple is aiming to integrate that specific part of the device into the chassis itself.
This is the first time that we’re hearing about changes to the antenna implementation in the iPhone 7, but it does line up with other rumors that suggest Apple is aiming to use a non-metal chassis this time around. That would help make a device that’s waterproof, but also reduce costs for Apple in the manufacturing process. The company transitioned to a 7000-series aluminum for the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, due to many complaints of bending and other reasons, which is believed to have raised costs for Apple. Going with a non-metal chassis for the iPhone 7 could also improve the device’s structural stability, a bonus for Apple in the days of YouTube videos promoting bending devices in half.
The report also states that iPhone shipments are expected to drop 30 percent sequentially in the first quarter of 2016, following Apple’s traditionally blockbuster holiday quarter sales. Catcher, which also makes the Unibody chassis for MacBooks, earns as much as sixty percent of its consolidated revenues from Apple.
[Source]
That frame is said to be waterproof, and implement new technologies that will help conceal the device’s antennas. That includes “new compound materials” to achieve that goal, which could mean Apple is aiming to integrate that specific part of the device into the chassis itself.
This is the first time that we’re hearing about changes to the antenna implementation in the iPhone 7, but it does line up with other rumors that suggest Apple is aiming to use a non-metal chassis this time around. That would help make a device that’s waterproof, but also reduce costs for Apple in the manufacturing process. The company transitioned to a 7000-series aluminum for the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, due to many complaints of bending and other reasons, which is believed to have raised costs for Apple. Going with a non-metal chassis for the iPhone 7 could also improve the device’s structural stability, a bonus for Apple in the days of YouTube videos promoting bending devices in half.
The report also states that iPhone shipments are expected to drop 30 percent sequentially in the first quarter of 2016, following Apple’s traditionally blockbuster holiday quarter sales. Catcher, which also makes the Unibody chassis for MacBooks, earns as much as sixty percent of its consolidated revenues from Apple.
[Source]
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