iPhone 5 Front Panel & Screen Leak Looks Like Previous Parts
Posted by Michael Nace on Monday Aug 20, 2012 Under iPhone 5 Opinion, iPhone 5 Rumor
We’re being treated once again to what is said to be a glimpse of the iPhone 5, depicting the screen and panel at close range.
Unlike some of the more recent sightings of leaked iPhone 5 parts that have come from Asian-based parts resellers and repair facilities, we now have a sighting of the purported “long body” iPhone 5 from a website called Ubreakifix.com. I agree with MacRumors, who says that “The parts don’t appear to be particularly revealing. We’ve seen similar components before . . .” Those “similar components” would be the overall design of the next iPhone, which leaked parts seem to corroborate that the longer aspect ratio rumor is set to come true.
As you can see in these new photos, the screen and front panel are the same dimensions. There’s also a close-up of the screen, wherein we get a gander at some of the component’s serial numbers (see photo).
Because UbreakiFix is a U.S. company with some level of trust and authority — they bear the Better Business Bureau badge and have a several offices throughout the country — it perhaps lends a level of credence to the veracity of the rumor. But let’s not forget that Case-Mate, an even larger, more established company, leaked iPhone 5 cases last year as well (much to their own embarrassment).
The question I always ask is, how did the leaker get these parts? I understand that keeping sources anonymous is a key ingredient to getting leaked information, but for a U.S. company like UbreakiFix, it’d be nice to know if the parts came from an Asian reseller, or if these parts came direct from the same source or sources that have been supplying other rumor mills.
So, I looked on the UbreakiFix website to see if I could get a better scoop on the story than what MacRumors and others have been reporting. This is what I found out:
Nada.
For as much as UbreakiFix went out of their way to emblazon their logo across all of their purported leaked photos, there is no mention of the findings on their website! Nothing! I thought, “well, they have a blog, at least. Surely they’ll have a blog posting of the photos.” Again, nothing. Search “iPhone 5″ on their site — still nothing.
It’s as if the parts were never found on the website. To me, that’s dubious.
My question at this point is, what did UbreakiFix know, and when did they know it? (Not really — I’ve just always wanted to have a good excuse to type that question, since I think it’s hilarious.) But seriously, where are these parts coming from? How about “Kwe Co.,” the other brand on the photos? Well, I looked up Kwe Co. on Google Hong Kong and found KWE Technologies Group, which “specializes in Custom Control Panels, Building Automation, PCB Services, and Systronik flue gas Analyzers.” Definitely “right church,” but “wrong pew.” Who are these guys?
Until someone can shed some light on how these parts are making it into the open, a show will continue to be cast on the entire scope of these leaked parts. It isn’t to say that they are patently fake or false — to be sure, the preponderance of evidence would suggest they are in fact real. But with every new leak seems to come some awkward detail that keeps a lingering doubt into the minds of many hopeful iPhone 5′ers.
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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August 20th, 2012 at 2:13 pm
Hey everybody correct me if I’m wrong, but if the iPhone 5 announcement was indeed on September 12, wouldn’t the event already be known to the public? It’s only 3 weeks away and still no invitations
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August 20th, 2012 at 2:58 pm
@Random123 i was just thinking about the exact same thing and then i read ur comment
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August 20th, 2012 at 3:01 pm
Thats a good question Random. Does anyone know how long do they usually send the invition prior to the event?
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August 20th, 2012 at 3:02 pm
“Invitation” That is…my apology
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August 20th, 2012 at 3:07 pm
If past history is any indication, Apple gives out invitations one week before the event.
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August 20th, 2012 at 3:09 pm
@Shameer M. but the WWDC 2012 invitation was (if i recall correctly) sent one or two months before the event.
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August 20th, 2012 at 3:26 pm
But WWDC is a well known event that requires seats/tickets be purchased right? The iPhone launch events are more of a selected invite to a party if you will.
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August 20th, 2012 at 3:33 pm
Yeah thats what i was looking into, they announced wwdc the last week of april, and the event took place the second week of June. We’re 3 weeks in and still no news. Let’s hope they announce it soon
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August 20th, 2012 at 3:37 pm
i think Octomber is more realistic.
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August 20th, 2012 at 3:57 pm
Now looking back at the iPhone 4s announcement, Apple sent out invites a week before, although people had been rumoring about an october 4th announcement all along. Lets hope Apple does the same thing this year. Can September 12 come soon enough?
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August 20th, 2012 at 4:19 pm
The last one was announced a week before, on 9/27/11:
http://iphone5newsblog.com/2011/09/27/
So, with this data point, we have another two weeks to speculate for 9/12/12…
…or longer, if it’s later.
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August 20th, 2012 at 4:20 pm
That’s funny… I get moderated for links to this site!
I know, it’s looking for links, not human, and sees that they’re to itself.
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August 20th, 2012 at 4:27 pm
@Jeff, you must be a dodgy character
@Michael, are your images high enough resolution to scan the QR code?
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August 20th, 2012 at 4:29 pm
Oscar, nothing on this blog is high enough resolution. It’s web 1.0, baby! ; D
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August 20th, 2012 at 5:42 pm
WWDC is a major one-week developer conference that costs a minimum $1,600 to attend, on top of hotel and travel fees. At this conference approximately 1000 Apple engineers are in attendance at Moscone Center to help developers, hands-on, with key technologies and their apps. This even is usually announced since a couple of months in advance since it takes a lot more organization and developers need enough notice to plan for this event.
The events Apple hosts outside of this conference, such as the Education event in January , the iPad event in March, and the up-coming iPhone event, are press-only events, for one day only. These events take place on Apple’s campus in Cupertino, so Apple usually gives only one week’s notice for these press-only events.
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August 20th, 2012 at 5:42 pm
@Oscar/Michael: you have no idea…
I’m still waiting for my comment over on the iPhone6newsblog site to be approved after a week… I gave Michael my home phone number, my mom’s address, and 3 SSN to verify me by, but it’s that strict. I don’t think he’s taking any chances on the next iPhonexnewsblog site, and with my posting history, I can’t blame him. 
OK, enough self-depricating… on with the show!
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August 21st, 2012 at 2:53 am
my 2 cents that this is a Chinese replica (or wanna-be) iPhone 5 prototype. why on earth would Apple have any Hong Kong linkage.
there are quite a few of these that replicate the iphone4 which do look quite similar to the real thing.
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August 21st, 2012 at 4:20 am
Yea, Apple usual gives about a week’s notice in order for any people to make out to the press event. So if we are going to see any invites go out for a September 12th event, around September 5th is the date to be watching for, or the Monday and Tuesday of that week. Anyways, still on the “nonbeliever train” for this purposed iPhone 5 leaked parts. Just doesn’t cut it for me!
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August 21st, 2012 at 4:23 am
So what we have is another unverifyable part. Even the site that has it’s name emblazoned across the pictures doesn’t claim them.
Not looking too good as far as authenticity is concerned.
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August 21st, 2012 at 8:46 am
So, are we going to have September 12th truthers? (wow… that’s a little too close to 9/11…)
OK, how about this… 9/12 believers?
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August 21st, 2012 at 10:39 am
@Jeff, I’ll go with September 12th, it seems plausible.
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August 21st, 2012 at 11:16 am
It’s all a tease.
These parts show up about once a week and in an order that doesn’t really show us the important bits.
We know nothing or the memory, processor, LTE. NFC, camera and even the screen hasn’t shown itself.
I think a few of these found their way into certain hands and what we are seeing is a slow striptease, but that doesn’t mean what we are seeing is the real thing.
Either Tim Cook is going to be red faced, showing the world a ‘new’ product that everyone and their dog has already seen or he will produce something completely new.
On the other hand this may be a real iPhone and is just to throw us off the scent, there may be a bigger surprise in store for us all with another product none of us has a clue about?
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August 22nd, 2012 at 4:48 am
I’m going to “double down” on my scepticism of these leaked parts.
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August 23rd, 2012 at 1:35 am
I just saw another picture of the same thing above and couldn’t help but notice that the picture of the phone looks stretched out. The home button looks oval shaped and stretched vertically. Maybe I’m just seeing things but the more I look at the picture the more ridiculous it looks and more obvious it is that is is stretched out.
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