Case makers betting on relocated power button on iPhone 6

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It’s still too early for case makers to receive design specifications for Apple’s upcoming bigger iPhones, but that’s not stopping them from commissioning cases, molds and mockups based on the flurry of iPhone 6 rumors.

One particular report seems to have captured the case makers’ attention: according to KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the next iPhone will have a relocated power button, moving from the top of the device to the upper right side.

Kuo is regarded as one of the most accurate analysts out there so it’s no surprise that Chinese vendors are already showing off their cases with cutouts in the right places…

Reflecting the rumored design changes, a bunch of iPhone 6 cases and physical device mockups have popped up at the Hong Kong Electronics Fair. The images top of post and below, shared by the Japanese blog Macotakara [Google translate] bet on the relocated power button.

The mockup below envisions a larger-screened iPhone.

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I’m still puzzled as to why the rumors point to a regular LED flash on the next iPhone instead of a pill-shaped True Tone flash like on the iPhone 5s.

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More cases from the show in a video below.

French blog NowhereElse.fr [Google translate] spotted the following iPhone 6 silicone case.

It clearly shows a hole for the repositioned Power/Sleep button along the upper right side of the device, along with pill-shaped volume controls like on the iPhone 5c and the fifth-generation iPod touch. The mute switch is across from the volume up button, right where it’s been on all prior iPhones thus far.

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The next iPhone is said to be thinner than the iPhone 5s, measuring about 7 millimeters in depth, so a slimmer profile may have prompted Apple’s engineers to abandon the round volume buttons.

The repositioned power button makes sense given that the upcoming iPhones should be 4.7 and 5.5-inches. Moving the button to the side would allow users to quickly wake up their device from sleep using only one hand.

I’m also loving the slightly rounded edges that indicate a tapered handset design.

The case comes from a Chinese manufacturer who has not been proven to be trustworthy, according to NowhereElse which didn’t provide case dimensions.

The publication’s source claims the iPhone 6 could land on store shelves as early as June 11. Most rumors point to a Fall release, so we’ll just have to wait a little until Apple’s WWDC keynote on June 2 as the firm could have some exciting iPhone news to share.

By the way, I’d take these images with a grain of salt: case makers are often working from rumors and have previously been wrong about upcoming iPhones.

Thoughts?