iPhone 5 Release Will Not Have Liquidmetal Technology: Report
Apple may release its iPhone 5 without liquid metal technology, some tech blogs speculate, after learning that the tech firm extended its contract with Liquidmetal for two years.
Early this year, rumors started to circulate on the Internet that Apple was going to swap out the glass back on its iPhone 5 for liquid metal material. Ever since, the technology has been one of the biggest rumors surrounding the iPhone 5 release.
Today, a report surfaced that Apple Inc. and Liquidmetal Technologies extended their intellectual property deal through February 5, 2014, according to a Securities and Exchange Commission filing.
Under the agreement, Apple has full license to all of Liquidmetal’s intellectual property for commercialization of its material in consumer electronics.
"Under the Amendment, the parties agreed to amend the MTA to extend the Feb. 5, 2012 date to Feb. 5, 2014," the report noted.
According to some tech fans, the contract extension may be a sign that Apple needs more time to implement the technology on its devices and therefore, has not put it into the iPhone 5.
Early this year, when the New iPad was unveiled, people speculated that it would come out with liquid metal technology, but it didn’t.
Liquid metal technology, according to NASA, redefined the material science of the 21st Century. The material behaves similar to plastics but possesses more than twice the strength of high-performance titanium. It reportedly resists bending, scratching, denting and shattering.
Liquidmetal Technologies, Inc. , of Lake Forest, California, is the owner of the intellectual property rights for Liquid metal, holding more than 40 worldwide patents and trademarks on the composition, manufacturing process, and usage of the technology.
There is no word from Apple yet about the iPhone 5 release date.