Gorilla Glass for iPhone 5

Smooth and curved.

The iPhone has always been as innovative in its design as it has been ground-breaking – but the latest rumour out of iLounge, suggesting that Apple will be using Gorilla Glass 2 to create a flat iPhone 5 that resembles a thinner iPhone 4S, seems to run counter to that trend.

A thinner retread of the iPhone 4S design is particularly surprising given the amount of chatter suggesting that the iPhone 5 will arrive rocking a curved glass shell. Indeed, there have been more than a few curved glass rumours already, and now that Corning’s stronger Gorilla Glass 2 has landed, it seems more plausible than ever.

Sure, there have been plenty of rumours suggesting a metal-wrapped iPhone 5, but with Apple’s purchase of a factory to make curved glass, we’re expecting smoothly curved glass protecting the innards of the next-gen iPhone. The advantage, other than good looks, is a lighter, thinner body and fewer internal components.

There’s also word that the 30-pin Dock Connector might be done away with – possibly in favour of a Thunderbolt port. With AirPlay on most new wireless speaker docks it wouldn’t be too much of a problem – although with over the air updates it seems a bit redundant.

If the June iPhone 5 announcement seems a bit far off to concern yourself with, check out our iPad 3 coverage before the big announcement on Wednesday March 7th.

This article originally appeared at Stuff.tv