Is a radical new design on its way for the iPhone 5 from Apple?
Apple is remaining mum. The details on the new device haven’t been revealed. The latest iPhone iteration is expected out next month.
But accessory makers are sending signals about what the new smartphone will look like.
Case-Mate, a major iPhone case manufacturer, published a page on its website showing a half dozen case designs. The case maker has since pulled the images. It posted a statement: “We’ll have your cases, when you have your new iPhone.”
Gizmodo warned: “Now let’s consider that Case-Mate might just be guessing along with the rest of us—it’s citing ‘inside sources,’ which is always a little eye-roll-inducing. But there’s also a chance it knows things we don’t, and slipped up today. Maybe it took down the images because Apple told it to. Maybe it took down the images because it pulled them out of its ass. We just don’t know.”
Todd Haselton reports in BGR: “We’re loving the radical new body shown in the images. We’ve heard tons of speculation that the iPhone 5 will be thinner and lighter than the current model and these cases suggest it will have tapered edges and a slim profile as well…”
Josh Lowensohn said at CNET that the backing of the new iPhone appears to be a rounded aluminum similar to the iPad 2’s design. Sources at an iPhone manufacturer in China told 9to5Mac earlier this year that the aluminum back panel had been spotted. On the other hand, the source said the fifth generation was similar in size and shape to iPhone 4.
What about the screen?
Gizmodo said: “We’re about as certain as it gets regarding something you haven’t seen that the iPhone 5 will have a big ‘ol screen. There’s been prior evidence—and this might be more: a leaked screen protector and possibly-revealing case.”
MacRumors wrote, based on leaked images of screen protectors, that it appears that the next gen iPhone has a significantly bigger screen and an elongated home button based on the alleged screen protectors, as compared with iPhone 4. Unwire in Hong Kong dug-up the images.
McRumors warned: “Despite all these case designs emerging from China, we should remind our readers that all these cases have been sourced from a common leaked design document. So, there’s been little additional confirmation that this is an accurate image of what the iPhone 5 will look like. We’ve also seen no actual part leaks related to this dramatic redesign.”
Meanwhile, Nick Bilton at New York Times weighed in and added some additional thoughts on the iPhone 5 and even 6: “From descriptions I’ve heard of the new iPhone from Apple employees, the images seemed potentially authentic. But it seems that Case-Mate might be sneakily trying to take advantage of the excitement over the phone by posting and then unposting the images. These things rarely happen accidentally, especially when it comes to new Apple products.”
The new phone will have an enhanced camera, moving up to eight megapixels from five. This came courtesy of Sony CEO Howard Stringer who earlier this year said Sony will supply the camera.
Bilton cited an Apple engineer who said the new phone will have a speedier A5 dual-core processor.
The new phone or the iPhone 6 may serve as an electronic wallet, thanks to near-field communication technology, which enables the phone to act like a credit or debt to pay for stuff. This could be accomplished through an iTunes account.
