I read all of the iPhone rumors I can find across the internets. Most of the time, I think they’re amusing works of Apple fanboy fiction.
The latest rumor being reported by TechCrunch and picked up all over the web shows what appears to be the back case of a new iPhone. The case shows, among other things, a new camera configuration. I have a hunch that this rumor is the real deal. More pics, rumor and speculation after the jump. >>>
Again, this is just a rumor. Apple is known for extreme secrecy and keeping details of new products under wraps. Remember last year’s iPhone rumors and that hideous wedge-shaped “iPhone 5”? This could be a plant by Apple to weed out suppliers who leak rumors. We won’t know for certain until the next iPhone is introduced.
Here’s a link to the video on YouTube from eTrade Supply where I got these screen captures. Watch it now in case the video gets pulled quickly.
The back case part in this video looks genuine and fits with most of the credible rumors we’ve been hearing about the iPhone 5. It looks like a leaked part from one of Apple’s suppliers.
Overall, the case looks like a next-generation iPhone case. The shape of the case, the grooves separating the antennae, the holes for buttons and other hardware are mostly where they should be.
The back case unit is metal, not Gorilla Glass. Both the back of the case and device’s frame are one unit. In comparison, the iPhone 4 and 4S have a separate frame, middle plate, and back cover. The case is a little bit thinner that the current iPhone 4S. That seems to be due to the lack of glass on the back of the device.
The size of the case is just a little bit longer, which supports the rumor that the new iPhone will have a larger 4″ screen.
The rumored new iPhone case compared to the iPhone 4.
Reconfigured Camera
In addition to the new size, slot and port configuration, what caught my eye about this case is a slightly reconfigured camera on the back. While still in the same overall position, the flash is now further away from the lens — it looks like by almost 1/4″.
If all else remains the same, this is still an improvement over the current set-up, although not by much. Moving the flash further away from the lens would help reduce the flat lighting of most smartphone cameras, even minutely.
Does this mean that the iPhone 5 will have a significantly better camera than the great one in the 4S? Maybe. I have a hunch that we’ll get an improved camera of some sort. That’s a no-brainer. Every iPhone since the 3G has received a camera upgrade. Sony is already shipping a slightly refreshed version camera found in the iPhone 4S (according to iFixit, it’s the same 8MP rear camera type found in the new Samsung Galaxy S III).
Again, this is just a rumor. Or this could be a discarded prototype part. We won’t know for sure until later this year. Until then, it’s amusing to sort out the facts from the fiction.
=M=
..
Rumored iPhone 5 case, an iPhone 4, and the middle plate of an iPhone 4
~~~~
