It seems that every year leaked parts for the next-generation iPhone inevitably find their way to the internet and this year is no exception. Today, just two short months after the iPhone 5 was released, a parts firm by the name of ETrade Supply has posted a set of rear shell images for what they believe is Apple’s unannounced next-generation iPhone – they’re calling it the iPhone 5S.
While the part looks nearly identical to the one found on the current iPhone 5, as seen above, ETrade Supply has taken the liberty of highlighting the otherwise less noticeable differences. Once highlighted, the most notable difference is the arrangement of the screw holes for attaching the device’s logic board.
Beyond repositioning the screw holds, other (less obvious) changes have been highlighted in purple, blue and yellow. Additionally the text on the back of the rear shell mirrors that of the iPhone 5, except it has “x”s as placeholders for the model number and other typical device identifiers – just like with leaked iPhone 4.
Although the origin of the part is unknown and it could be either a fake or imitation component, upon closer examination the build quality is highly reminiscent of a genuine Apple part. If this isn’t a next-generation iPhone casing, another possible scenario is that it belonged to a pre-iPhone 5 prototype that has since been discarded in favor of the one currently in production.
With this news falling in line with last month’s report suggesting the iPhone 5S is scheduled for mass production by the first quarter of 2013, there’s a strong possibility that Apple is preparing their seventh generation iPhone for release this coming summer. Stay tuned for complete coverage on Apple and their forthcoming “iPhone 5S”.
