The iPhone 5 News Blog

From photoshopped mockups to purported leaked photos out of Foxconn, the tech world clamors for any visual media that gives them an inkling into what the iPhone 5 will look like — real or imagined.

Every time a new iPhone iteration comes around, a glut of mockups get dumped on the blogosphere and, as the perceived release date approaches, “mockups” transform into “sightings.” In the case of the iPhone 5, however, we’ve had several cycles of iPhone 5 mockups, thanks to unusually long wait for it.

iPhone 5 mockups began almost as early as this blog: we got started in August of 2010, and by that fall, iPhone 5 mockups were already making their rounds. Last Summer, there was a breathtaking number of mockups-turned-sightings, all of which were reported on the top tech rumor blog with the heading, “Is This The iPhone 5?!” Technically, all of those original so-called “sightings” are still possible, since we’re still twiddling thumbs, awaiting the ascendency of the iPhone 5 in all its glory.

For as much as these “sightings” are almost always cynical schemes run by blogs to garner heaps of web traffic (remember: for most blogs, more web traffic means more ad clicks, and more revenue), many of the more earnest attempts at simply “mocking up” an iPhone 5 design based on the rumors are actually rather intriguing. Granted, there is little chance that a graphic designer is going to guess Cupertino’s own iPhone 5 design perfectly, but at the very least there is an intrigue and entertainment value to appreciating them. And because designers take into account the rumored features, there is usually a modicum of realism to their designs.

(Usually, but not always.)

The other day, I went through some of the iPhone 5 mockups that I’ve collected through the year and a half I’ve been working on this blog, and thought I’d present some of the best ones to date that I think represent the rumors well.

The Best iPhone 5 Mockups

…or at least my opinion of the best iPhone 5 mockups. Here are the rumors about the iPhone 5′s form factor that I believe could come true: it will have a metal back, it will see its screen expand to 3.7 inches but keep the current iPhone dimensions, it will be slimmer, it will feature a new home button design, and it will return to a more rounded design. Most importantly, Apple will work hard to make sure that it is not aesthetically derivative of completing Android designs.

This design has always interested me:

What I like about it is the juxoposition of the square and round edges, and the very sleek, clean lines that is definitively Apple. There has been a lot of debate about the lines of the iPhone 5, and whether they will stay with the iPhone 4/4S’s squarish shape, or return the sloping lines of the iPhone 3G/3GS. This design manages to do both, with a rounded top and bottom that still delivers hard edges on the corners.

It remains to be seen, however, if what we’re seeing here s even physically possible — or possible at the manufacturing level. The two renderings have never seemed to be completely consistent with one another, making this mockup more of an optical illusion than a possible reality for the iPhone 5 form factor. The other problem for me is that it obviously sports a glass back, and I truly believe that Apple will move toward a metal back for the iPhone 5.

All in all, though, I like the lines of this mockup because, as I said, it just looks to me like something Apple could design.

Then there’s this one:

The front screen, which appears to be edge-to-edge, as well as the monolithic presentation seems just minimalist enough for Apple to go for. Some have imagined that the iPhone 5 (or some future iPhone) would have a front comprised of nothing more than a full-coverage touch screen, perhaps supplied by a flexible AMOLED display. This design seems to get at that idea, making for a very provocative design, and one that would perhaps maximize a screen size increase without expanding the overall dimensions.

Another interesting feature of this iPhone 5 mockup is the back: its matte finish suggests black metal, and the corners are resoundingly rounded. It also represents a slimmer profile.

Similarly, I think this iPhone 5 mockup is worth posting as well:

It’s safe to assume that if the iPhone 5 featured a front like the one in this mockup, iPhone users would be majorly disappointed, since it looks remarkably similar in size and design to the iPhone 4 and 4S. But what I like about this design is the metal back: I believe that the iPhone 5 will have a metal back like this one, similar to the iPad.

Finally, this mockup courtesy of MacRumors is an interesting one as well:

We don’t get a lot of information about the back in this particular photo, but what I like about it is the rendering of a new multi-touch home button and the edge-to-edge screen. Personally, I’m ready for the home button to disappear and be replaced with a touch surface home button — a design like that could allow apple to make the iPhone 5′s front completely touch-capable. But since many iPhone users are quite attached to the satisfying click of a manual home button, I think that Apple could opt for a modified home button — and maybe a larger one like this that allows easier access in order to handle other functions.

In the end, only a chosen few know what the iPhone 5 will truly look like — the form factor really never seems to get out into the open until the final round of the assembly process. And considering that all of these mockups are based purely on rumor, speculation, and tech fantasy, there’s really nothing to confirm — other than peoples’ insatiable curiosity about what the iPhone 5 will look like.

One can dream, after all.

By Michael Nace

Do you have an iPhone 5 form factor that you really like? Post it in the comments below and we’ll kibitz about it.