The lower priced iPhone rumors are heating up and this time it's all about the design of the smartphone. The device will reportedly ditch the current aluminum and glass enclosure that Apple uses on the iPhone 5, iPhone 4S, and iPhone 4 for a plastic "special design" that could feature a "see-through" aesthetic showing the inside of the smartphone. This rumored design has already been used by Apple and very successfully with the original iMac. Its design allowed you to enjoy its beauty inside and out.

As with all iPhone rumors, take this one with a grain of salt or translucent plastic, in this case. In an apparent move to cut costs in order to offer a lower-priced iPhone a new report suggests that Apple will ditch the familiar aluminum and glass exterior of the iPhone 5, iPhone 4S, and iPhone 4 in favor of a re-designed plastic shell. The rumor gets a little more interesting with the claim that the smartphone will sport a "special design" that will allow the internal metal parts of the iPhone to be seen by the user.

As far-fetched as this design sounds, it's something Apple is very familiar with. When Steve Jobs returned to Apple in 1996 after being ousted from the company he created, he envisioned a new Apple. Jobs wanted recognizable products and simple design upon his return. The first major product he oversaw was the iMac and it was one of the biggest hits Apple had ever seen. The original iMac was the beginning of the new Apple Steve Jobs envisioned, it highlighted Apple's attention to detail and design. The iMac looked unlike any other computer before it. Its design was a plastic shell around a 15-inch CRT (cathode ray tube) monitor. What made the iMac unique and could lend some truth to the current lower-priced iPhone's rumored see-through casing is that Apple designed the case of the iMac to be translucent, allowing the user to not only see how beautiful the iMac appeared on the outside but also how beautifully Apple designed the inside.

It'll be interesting if there's any truth to the report but if there is, you can bet that Apple will borrow "it's beautiful inside and out" from the original iMac when describing the new iPhone.