About That Rumor With Apple Abandoning iPhone Glass Back

I don't talk about rumors but I really took this one with a huge shovel of salt. And here goes. The rumor today is that Apple will be abandoning the glass plate that currently houses the back of the iPhone 4. I highly doubt this with one exception and I'll get to that at the very end.

There are three reasons why I think this is a major load.

First, Apple has so far followed through with the same design for the iPhone 3G and the 3GS. The first iPhone design was a classic but abandoned likely due to reception issues and it was just way to easy to take apart for Apple's comfort.

And the iPhone 3G and 3GS looked virtually the same. And let's face it, it was a nice evolutionary change but the iPhone 4's industrial design rocked. And it would be a shame if iPhone 4G, iPhone 5 (whatever Apple ends up calling the next iPhone), abandons it. It remains hugely popular.

The one stumbling block, and though only another rumor, is that the white version was giving Apple issues with the paint allow light to seep through that would interfere with the quality and operation of the cameras. This bit of information, again, is also a rumor.

Secondly, there is a lot of evidence that Apple had resolved whatever issue they were confronted with in creating the white iPhone 4. Heck, some 17-year old high school kid was even able to sell white iPhone parts on eBay. Clearly, it was parts that Apple will/would use in the assembly of a white iPhone because the kid was stopped from further selling the parts. And clearly, the issue was resolved given the comments about them.

Thirdly, and the most important one, relates to technology. I believe Apple'use of the glass back for the iPhone might be a preemptive move to allow for NFC functions and/or multi-touch gestures from the back of the iPhone.

Consider this. Apple has even filed multi-side touch. This is a filing that many blogs reported about from late 2007.

Perhaps, Apple can use another material besides glass for gestures on the underside of the iPhone or other iOS devices, but if you put everything together, it makes sense from a speculation stand point.

Furthermore, I really doubt Apple would just use glass for the heck of it or just the looks.

Having said all that, I don't mind the new look if true. It kind of homogenizes the whole like up between the iPod touch and iPad 2.

Now, the exception. If Apple can find another functional reason besides the likelihood of broken glasses, I am sure Apple will go ahead and make the change.

So for now, I am putting this rumor in the rank of idle speculation. You know, pretty much what this post is about.

More at Macrumors on this rumor.