If you are in the business of designing and developing accessories or cases for Apple hardware, or just a hardcore fan who has keen interest in the engineering behind products and how they are actually put together, then Apple’s trend of releasing blueprints and schematics of their new mobile devices is sure to please. Over the weekend, we were treated to some rather detailed technical drawings of the sixth-generation iPhone and that has been followed up with the blueprints of the fifth-generation iPod touch and the seventh iteration of the iPod nano.
As was the case with the previous iPhone 5 drawings, the images are highly detailed and cover pretty much every aspect of said devices as well as giving guidelines to accessory creators about what they should and shouldn’t be doing with their creations. It isn’t any great secret that Apple likes to think they have the best products on the market, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that they make these dimensional drawings available to allow accessory makers to ensure that they create their products to the highest standard without interfering with any of the device’s operations.
In addition to the technical drawings, Apple also provides a document that outlines their general guidelines for the creation of cases that are intended for use with any of their mobile devices. The document is currently sitting on version R3 and has recently been updated to coincide with the announcement of the iPhone 5, the fifth-generation iPod touch and the seventh-generation iPod nano. When used in conjunction with the dimensional drawings, the document provides comprehensive information on mechanical considerations to take into account when designing a case as well as ensuring that the user still has access to all controls and acoustic apertures.
The document also forces designers to take camera considerations into account and even has examples of images taken with an embedded camera where the flash has been obstructed by poorly designed cases. To some it may just be a set of useless drawings and documents, but to those who are involved in the accessory industry, it is another example of how Apple go that extra mile to ensure users of their devices get the best possible experience.
You can download the iPod touch schematic drawings from here and iPod nano here.
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