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iPhone looks?

whooleytoo

whooleytoo

macrumors 604
Original poster
Aug 2, 2002
6,607
716
Cork, Ireland.
The feature list has been argued to death, but what do people think of the actual look of the iPhone?

Personally, I think it's very ordinary, not even remotely up to Apple's (/Ives') usual standards of simplicity and elegence. And if you watch the keynote, the reaction from the audience when it first appears is a deafening "Meh..".

It's not at all original (several current phones have the glossy black with chrome bezel look), and with the back being different it's just too fussy with it's various materials (black glossy, chrome, matt black and silver on the back).
 
i also find it very ordinary. you really can't be too innovative with the looks of a full-screen device like that. to be honest, i don't know what apple could have done differently.

of course, i was one of those that responded with a half-hearted "oh, look, the iphone *is* real."
 
I like it...looks clean and elegant. It may not win any design awards, but it's a whole lot better looking than my Treo 650.
 
ezzie1029 said:
i also find it very ordinary. you really can't be too innovative with the looks of a full-screen device like that. to be honest, i don't know what apple could have done differently.

of course, i was one of those that responded with a half-hearted "oh, look, the iphone *is* real."
Click to expand...

Obviously with the big screen, the design options are limited; but they could have used different materials/colours. All-black, all white, brushed metal, or even something new. For instance, how about using the MacBook Pro metallic finish with a grilled texture (like the front of a Mac Pro, or the speakers on the MBP)?
 
whooleytoo said:
Obviously with the big screen, the design options are limited; but they could have used different materials/colours. All-black, all white, brushed metal, or even something new. For instance, how about using the MacBook Pro metallic finish with a grilled texture (like the front of a Mac Pro, or the speakers on the MBP)?
Click to expand...

ok, i'll give you that. ;)

it would be very interesting to see the metallic finish you described.
 
I have a few problems with the look of the interface. I dont like how it changes from the glossy black interface to the different shades of blue interface.
 
I like how it looks but am concerned of scratches to the multi-touch surface. Apple claims it's more durable than the iPod but something tells me it wouldn't stand up to keys in my pocket like my iPod with it's Invisible Shield cover. We'll see.
 
The face of the device looks very blah, but in 3 dimensions the phone looks much nicer, in my opinion.
 
it is beautiful! I love its simplicity and black design maybe we need the other colours? but maybe that too tacky!
 
what could possibly be nicer about it? black & silver are the epitome of style? I wish macs would get that treatment. that grated brushed aluminum idea is terrible. That's grilled G5 tower is one of apples worst design decisions ever:mad:
 
It looks nice.

Though I am wondering if all that display is potential for a pocket full of display once shattered!
 
For a wide touchscreen phone, there's not a lot you can do style-wise. Sure Apple could've done this or maybe that but think about how that would affect the size and ergonomics of the device. The iPhone is designed to be a screen; that's it centre-piece so Apple rightly aimed all your attention at the screen. The black and chrome styling help direct your focus on the display. By not being too brash, the curves and colours stop you from being distracted from the iPhones pride and joy.

I think Mr. Ive hit the nail on the head with this one. I love its design, it certainly looks a lot better than anything else on the market at this current time. I think it looks better than the LG Shine/Prada/Whatever the hell they want to their bloody phones.
 
I like the look of the iPhone, its simple and stylish. Its true what everone is saying, its a huge touchscreen so why try so hard to wow you with the phone when the screen does that all on its own. I will say that I was surprised by the look when it was first announced, I thought for sure it was going to be glossy white like the ipods. Who knows, maybe the iPhone is a first look at what the future iMacs and MacPros will look like with chrome highlights and such.
 
whooleytoo said:
Personally, I think it's very ordinary, not even remotely up to Apple's (/Ives') usual standards of simplicity and elegence. And if you watch the keynote, the reaction from the audience when it first appears is a deafening "Meh..".
Click to expand...

I totally agree, don't get me wrong i think it is good looking in it's own way, but there's something completely un-Apple about it. It's like a good-looking Sony product, or a dell product (no saying it looks like that but that kind of good-looking), but it's just not apple good if you know what i'm saying. It lacks the apple 'wow' factor.

When i first saw it it didn't look like and apple product to me. I think if the back was matte black with a white apple logo, it would look better, maybe if they loose the chrome bezel on the front too? Who knows, it's all screen anyway so a product like that is hard to distinguish. But i'm not feeling the grey back, looks like one of those old G4 Powermacs.
 
whooleytoo said:
Personally, I think it's very ordinary, not even remotely up to Apple's (/Ives') usual standards of simplicity and elegence.
Click to expand...

Not simple?? IT HAS 1 BUTTON!!! HOW MANY OTHER SMART PHONES HAVE ONLY 1 BUTTON!! It is simple and plain. They were trying to keep the size down so they couldn't make it look like anything crazy. Elegence? It looks like a wide screen ipod. That is what it should look like. It is branded modeling. It doesn't flip or open or slip, that is simple. And the screen on it is nice and elegant. I don't understand where you are coming from at all. They went with what they know works. It is the first model they weren't going to make anything crazy. They had to pack a lot of stuff into it with a big screen so no matter what it isn't going to look much different.

I like it.

You post gets a thumbs down from me.

The Stig
 
yep .. fairly ordinary, definitely could have done better.

i would have liked cleaner lines, sharper corners, gotten rid of that hideous back, metal rim is alright but could have done without it, and i know its a bit of a engineering nightmare but maybe a slider qwerty keypad?

the GUI is alright, but i would think again ... there is this huge screen area which is being covered by blown up graphics and huge icons ...

still, its alright, i wont be buying it, not until 2g or 3g (and that too because of iPod .. dont want the phone) .... or maybe never
 
iShak said:
yep .. fairly ordinary, definitely could have done better.

i would have liked cleaner lines, sharper corners, gotten rid of that hideous back, metal rim is alright but could have done without it, and i know its a bit of a engineering nightmare but maybe a slider qwerty keypad?

the GUI is alright, but i would think again ... there is this huge screen area which is being covered by blown up graphics and huge icons ...

still, its alright, i wont be buying it, not until 2g or 3g (and that too because of iPod .. dont want the phone) .... or maybe never
Click to expand...

I think you're in the wrong thread. Your complaints aren't about the iPhone's look, the iPhone just obviously isn't the phone for you, there are plenty of phones on the market that are more like you describe.
 
Chaszmyr said:
I think you're in the wrong thread. Your complaints aren't about the iPhone's look, the iPhone just obviously isn't the phone for you, there are plenty of phones on the market that are more like you describe.
Click to expand...

I dunno...the iPhone has so much potential, but somehow I feel it is unfinished...hopefully new features will come with the release (possibly an iPhone mini in candybar form) like voip.
 
Chaszmyr said:
I think you're in the wrong thread. Your complaints aren't about the iPhone's look, the iPhone just obviously isn't the phone for you, there are plenty of phones on the market that are more like you describe.
Click to expand...

minus the sliding keypad, i dont see how my post is irrelevant to this thread :S

/fanboi flaming
 
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