Leaked Photos Claim to Reveal iPhone 5, iPad Mini
Posted by Michael Nace on Wednesday Jul 11, 2012 Under iPhone 5 News, iPhone 5 Rumor
A purported "iPhone 5 engineering sample" from GottaBeMobile
Newly obtained photos of engineering samples reveal molds that purport to show the iPhone 5 and Mini iPad form factors. The iPhone 5 mold corroborates earlier sightings of a longer, metal-backed design.
In the wake of widely reported-on photos of what purported to be iPhone 5 form factor components, new photos have emerged that appear to corroborate the design originally revealed by 9to5Mac, along with a new glimpse at the long-rumored “iPad Mini.” The photos come by way of GottaBeMobile, and purport to be “engineering samples” — or composite molds — of both the iPhone 5 and iPad Mini. 9to5Mac explains:
These photos appear to be of a physical construction of the rumored next-generation iPhone design. The report calls the metal mockup (which in the end may simply be a case maker’s mold, we speculate) slightly taller than the iPhone 4/4S, yet thinner and a design with the same width. However, it is possible that these are actual engineering samples manufactured in Apple’s supply chain. This case would lend more credence to the previously rumored taller design with a two-toned back.”
As you can see, the photo above closely resembles that of the earlier photos of the iPhone 5 we saw prior to Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference in mid June:
Perhaps even more interesting is GottaBeMobile‘s purported glimpse at the iPad Mini, which, as initially suggested by Apple insider Jim Darymple, appears to look identical to the iPad 3, but with smaller specs:
It’s worth noting, however, that “engineering samples” like these are even much easier to fake then a “finished” form factor, since they are nothing more than molds. And given the fact that the specs of the original iPhone 5 photos from 9to5Mac were widely shared, it wouldn’t be hard to imagine how one could mock up a metal mold of it in an effort to substantiate the initial claim.
Add to this the fact that Apple is known for its tight security on product development, and it becomes increasingly hard to imagine that we could be seeing the finished form factor of both the iPhone 5 and iPad Mini at this juncture, since allowing us to do so would potentially spoil Apple’s ability to make a big splash with its overhauled iPhone 5 and newly-revealed iPad Mini, respectively.
By Michael Nace
Michael Nace is the Publisher of the iPhone 5 News Blog and iPhone 6 News Blog. He has published articles about the iPhone since 2010.
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July 11th, 2012 at 12:23 pm
Looks like the stretched 4S we’ve been seeing. Hope its not real.
July 11th, 2012 at 12:30 pm
I also hope this purported shape is not going to see the light of day.
Weirdly my biggest ask for the new phone above all the suggested hardware and software upgrades is a new form factor!
If this does come true and the back plate is for inductive charging, making the phone effectively wireless will they call it the iPhone Air?
July 11th, 2012 at 3:12 pm
Don’t let this happen Jony Ive!
July 11th, 2012 at 3:37 pm
I’ll still buy it, but that design is kind of dull, to me.
July 11th, 2012 at 4:27 pm
If that is the best they can come up with after 2,5y+….
July 11th, 2012 at 4:52 pm
Im seriously doubting that the tall version is real.
Apple has the screen h/w ratio in place purposely because they spent a load of time figuring out what the right ratio is.
Why would they all of a sudden make the screen taller AND change the h/w ratio?
If the screen is gonna get bigger, I think they’d at least keep the same h/w ratio. Not change everything entirely. Especially since Steve Jobs had his hands on this. Steve Jobs didn’t even want a bigger screen. He specifically said that the iPhone screen size is the perfect screen size, as well as the iPad, and he was 100% AGAINST an iPad Mini. Steve Jobs hated the iPad mini concept. So if Steve had anything to do with a new screen size, which would be against what he previously said, then I highly doubt he’d change the h/w ratio as well. Very very doubtful. Seems to me there are a lot of wishful thinkers making these concepts. Or should I say wishful dreamers?
July 11th, 2012 at 7:30 pm
Best part is anybody with a cnc machine could make the iPhone mold easily
July 11th, 2012 at 9:37 pm
looks like crap and also looks HEAVY … lol, lol…
July 11th, 2012 at 11:11 pm
Look how scratched up it is. Anyone could fabricate that.
July 12th, 2012 at 1:02 am
Heres an idea…Now i just came up with this and it might be a little crazy but just here me out. How about they stop with all the top secret black opps bull mess and just SHOW US THE F-ING PHONE!? Ah yes and make it the phone we all want and deserve at this point i know its a little out there but all in favore say I
July 12th, 2012 at 5:47 am
Personally, I don’t think this is real.
I REALLY hope the form factor changes and isn’t just stretched, that would be fairly lame after such a long wait.
July 12th, 2012 at 8:50 am
I’ve been saying since last year’s delayed release of the less-than-overwhelming 4S that Apple has moved on from the iPhone, (as the flagship iProduct anyway), They’re not going to compete feature for feature. History indicates the next release will have 2 or 3 more incremental changes, bigger screen, NFC, etc….. pick 2,any 2 while Apple is off creating a new industry changing iSomething.
I think it’s the iTV that changes the way TV, especially cable and satelite offer programs. Imagine buying channels individually, just like apps instead of the bundled cable packages, and all controlled from your iPhone, or iPad. Jobs did that with the music industry, why noy TV?
July 12th, 2012 at 9:28 am
You have to have a licence here in the UK for a television, thanks to the BBC.
July 12th, 2012 at 10:55 am
@Vernicularis, so, if you’re in a local Dixons, and you watch the telly there without a license, does the BBC police give you a ticket? And if you don’t pay it, what happens next?
@adam… amen brother, amen.
July 12th, 2012 at 11:45 am
Forget a large screen, A5/6/7/8 processor, 4G LTE, NFC, and long battery life.
What we need is this built in:
http://www.cultofmac.com/178658/new-iphone-case-doubles-as-a-650-volt-stun-gun/
July 12th, 2012 at 12:44 pm
@ GetSwole – If you read the Steve Jobs biography you will have a better context for Jobs comments about the existing screen sizes. He believed passionately in Apple’s products, but he was also a master marketer and everything Apple produced was “the best”. He could and would also change his mind overnight from an idea being “total sh*t” to “the best idea ever”. (Origin of the idea also often changed to being his when it became the best idea ever.)
Another thing to point out, if Apple goes with the rumored 7.85″ screen size with the same 4:3 aspect ratio of the existing iPad, the iPad Mini will have 36% more screen area than a 7″ 16:10 ratio Nexus 7 and 40% more screen area than a 7″ 17:10 ratio Kindle Fire. You think Apple might mention that a time or two?
July 12th, 2012 at 12:44 pm
@DonNMass
I read something not very long ago that Google is working on something like that…it was something like have paid subscription cable channels through youtube or something like that. To me, it seems like Google would be in a much better position do something like that because of their internet dominance….but I also didn’t think that anybody (especially Apple) would try to overpower Google with their maps.
July 12th, 2012 at 12:49 pm
@Jeff in Everett
I would say that being caught watching TV in Dixons is a crime in itself. The BBC would assimilate you into their long list of luvvies by forcing a plum into your mouth.
July 12th, 2012 at 12:51 pm
If the mini iPad ends up with a 4:3 aspect ratio but the i5 has a 16:9 ratio then I personally will take it as a sign of major failures to come from Apple. To me, that is completely backward to have 16:9 ratio phone and a 4:3 ipad. It should be the other way around. I will seriously be ticked if the new phone is that silly looking stretched out iphone 4.
July 13th, 2012 at 3:51 am
I will seriously have to think about looking elsewhere if the new iPhone looks like that ugly block. 2 1/2 years of engineering, design, and innovation should lead to something spectacular, not some stretched out re-hash with a faster processor and a couple of new features.
DonNMass, I seriously hope you are wrong. Though I know Apple will be looking for the next big thing, it also has dedicated hardware teams working on each device it produces, so why should the innovation and creativity falter on any of their existing devices. I also can’t see Apple deciding not to continue to develop the iPhone agressively. It’s one of, if not their best selling product, so why would they risk losing sales in a market which is fast evolving and highly competative. Nokia were the market leader for years, then their updates slowed, their os got dated, they got sloppy, and they went down hill very fast, especially when the iPhone came out. If Apple get too sloppy, it wouldn’t take much for a company to produce the next great phone and Apple will lose out big time. Just look at what’s happened to Blackberry.
July 13th, 2012 at 7:46 pm
Jony ive, don’t f*ck us over once again. -__-