"Not least, that microphone hole up at the top of the screen.I'm no expert, but that looks like it would be the number one source of cracked screens from the gentlest of knocks."

Minor point, but I guess it would be a speaker, not a microphone.

I enjoy seeing completely original concept designs, but I also like seeing what designers can do when restricted to an established design style as well. I feel like it can be equally difficult to itinerate on an establish design as it is to come up with something more original.

I remember seeing a really cool design concept last year for an iPhone 7 with a slide out physical keyboard while keeping the overall iPhone design language.

My Lumia 920 has a hole for the speaker in the glass at the top of the screen. Anecdotally at least, cracks are not a problem. There's a few chips of glass missing by now on the sides, mostly from dropping the phone, but it doesn't seem to be a point that is more prone to damage than others.

As far as the speaker, I'd like to see Apple try something like the bone conduction tech that Xiaomi uses in their MIX phone. It'd give them a seamless, all-glass front with the only holes in the phone the speaker grille and charging port at the base of the device.