Apple May Reintroduce the iPhone 4's Classic Design in 2020

According to reports from Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the next iPhone model could reintroduce the box design from the 2010 unit next year, ending the company’s three-year design cycle with the new iPhone 11. Many speculate the reintroduction of the design will arrive next year due to the iPhone 4‘s 10-year anniversary, and that the new model will pay homage to the classic design.

Others theorize the boxier design will align with the design of Apple’s iPad lines, going more in the lines of the rectangular design of the iPad Pro following the devices previously curvier form. Kuo states that the 2020 batch of iPhones will range in screen sizes from 5.4 inches to 6.1 inches and up, each utilizing OLED displays. He also predicts Apple will also adopt 2.5D glass panels for the new handhelds to provide a smoother, rounder quality to the device.

In other tech news, check out Xiaomi’s new MI Mix Alpha concept phone with an all-over display design.

iPhone 14 Pro Status Bar Rumored to Include Classic Battery Indicator

Apple plans to bring the classic iOS battery indicator back to the status bar directly on the upcoming iPhone 14 Pro and ‌iPhone 14 Pro‌ Max, taking full advantage of the added screen space at the top of the display thanks to a new pill-shaped notch replacement.

According to information shared with MacRumors and images posted on the MacRumors forums, Apple will bring back the classic iOS battery indicator to the status bar of the upcoming ‌iPhone 14 Pro‌, which will include the battery percentage and battery icon separate from each other.

While Apple brought the battery percentage back to the status bar in an iOS 16 beta, the battery percentage is placed inside the battery icon and is not separated from it due to limited space at the top of the display.

‌iOS 16‌ battery percentage currently on iPhones with a notch

Alongside the classic battery indicator, Apple will rearrange other elements of the iOS status bar on the Lock Screen and notification center for the upcoming iPhones, including moving the cellular signal indicator to the left, according to the latest information.

It's unknown whether the classic battery indicator will be present in the status bar when the device is unlocked and in use, given the need to display the time on the left, reducing the overall amount of available width.

The latest tidbit is one of several new aspects of the ‌iPhone 14 Pro‌ ‌iOS 16‌ experience we're learning about just days before Apple's "Far out" event. Earlier today, MacRumors reported new details on the always-on display experience for the ‌iPhone 14 Pro‌ and ‌iPhone 14 Pro‌ Max, including the behavior of the always-on display and different design elements.

Apple’s most popular iPhone ever is now ‘vintage’

Every year Apple sends several of its products to the great Genius Bar in the sky as they age out of repair and upgrades, but this one hit a little differently: the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, which brought the iPhone into the world of large screens and was Apple’s biggest selling model of all time, is officially vintage.

It seems like only yesterday when Apple unveiled the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 and 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus, but it was actually eight years ago. And since Apple stopped selling the phone five years ago, it’s now been officially declared vintage, the first step before it becomes obsolete in two years.

When Apple declares a product as vintage, parts and repair become more difficult but not impossible. Once a product reaches obsolete status after 7 years, Apple “discontinues all hardware service.” You can read more about this process in How long does Apple support iPhones?

The classic design was the major revision Apple made before dumping the Home button and introducing Face ID. It’s so timeless that it’s still used on the latest iPhone SE. It was also the main iPhone involved in the battery replacement program after Apple admitted to slowing down the processor to preserve battery life.

The iPhone 6 and 6 Plus were Apple’s most popular iPhones of all time, selling an estimated 225 million combined units and forever changing the iPhone. Apple sold more than four million in the first day of preorders and caused massive lines at Apple Stores on launch day. In addition to the larger screens, the phones also introduced Apple Pay, better camera focus, and the A8 64-bit dual-core processor.

Apple ended support for the iPhone 6 Plus in December 2021.