newjerseynewsroom.com

BY BOB HOLT

NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM

The battle for smartphone supremacy may require new ideas to make a company’s next product stand out from the competition.

Recent stories are suggesting that Apple will be using “Liquidmetal in its next generation iPhone, to make the device stronger and lighter.

Metro reports that a liquid metal casing will be replacing the glass for the upcoming iPhone 5, making it less prone to damage on impact if it is dropped.

According to Wired, Apple received the rights to use Liquidmetal in 2010. The product is basically metallic glass that gives a product added strength and higher resistance against scratching. The International Business Times says Apple will create a liquid metal alloy of zirconium, titanium, nickel and copper to produce"an outer surface smooth like liquid."

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Apple iPhone 5 release date rumors: Faster, stronger features

Mac Rumors reports that a story on a Korean site says the iPhone 5 will launch at the Worldwide Developers Conference in June. Apple used to launch its devices mid-year at the WWDC, but most people expect the company to release their newest phone toward the end of the year, as they did in 2011with the 4S model.

But other reports have called for the device to launch in June, and Computerworld reports that stories giving credence to the Liquidmetal rumors come from Liquidmetal themselves. The company announced earlier this year that it had begun parts shipments to its customers in December 2011, and more deliveries were scheduled. And Apple factory Foxconn, has been recruiting staff for its iPhone 5 production lines.

Other stories have said the iPhone 5 may yet feature a 4-inch screen, and perhaps a new design.