The iPhone 5's release date is not confirmed, but suppliers are already selling cases for the hotly anticipated mobile device.
According to Cydia Blog, "Shenzhen based iPhone parts supplier Tvc-mall.com has received a fresh inventory of iPhone 5 TPU Gel cases that offers some valuable clues about its design specifications. This iPhone 5 physical case aligns with the case drawings leaked from a Chinese case manufacturer and a hands-on video leaked exclusively by us - thinner and longer with smaller dock connector."
The exact dimensions are unknown, but the image clearly shows a small cut-out area mashing with earlier claims that the sixth generation iPhone will have a smaller dock connector.
According to 9to5mac, Tvc-mall.com is selling the cases for just $1.58 each.
This goes with the recent leaked photos of the case design.
According to Information Week, published photos by Taiwan-based blog Apple.pro show a device that is very similar to the iPhone 4 and 4S in terms of overall look and design. The front panel clearly shows that the device will have a larger display than the current iPhones.
Another notable design change in the new iPhone front panel shows the FaceTime camera has been moved to a centered position above the earpiece speaker. Also, according to the blog, the glass has the same width of the current iPhone 4S but the length of the new phone is larger.
The device is also expected to lose the 30-pin port that Apple has used on devices such as the iPod, iPod Touch, iPhone, and iPad for years in favor of a smaller port. The new port will still likely be proprietary to Apple, and not conform to the industry standardized mircoUSB port that's used by other manufacturers.
TechCrunch has exclusively confirmed that the usual 30-pin dock will be replaced with a 19-pin mini connector. A 4.08-inch display is also expected.
It was also confirmed that the new Apple iPhone 5, which is currently being manufactures by Asian component makers, will use a new technology that males the smartphone's screen thinner, people familiar with the matter said, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The new technology is called in-cell. Japanese liquid-crystal-display makers Sharp Corp. and Japan Display Inc.-a new company that combined three Japanese electronics makers' display units-as well as South Korea's LG Display Co. are currently mass producing panels for the next iPhone using so-called in-cell technology, the people said.
The technology integrates touch sensors into the LCD, making it unnecessary to have a separate touch-screen layer. The absence of the layer, usually about half-a-millimeter thick, not only makes the whole screen thinner, but improves the quality of displayed images.
The Journal also reported that while in-cell technology creates extra room for other components such as batteries, the in-cell touch screens are harder to manufacture than conventional LCD screens.
According to GottaBeMobile, the iPhone 5 might be the first iPhone with 4G LTE, and it might bring a new feature to Sprint and Verizon customers.
"4G LTE is best known for delivering faster upload and download speeds, but these new devices also let users surf the web and talk at the same time," reported GottaBeMobile. This will give customers the ability to talk and surf the web at the same time.
BGR confirmed that Apple is testing units that have 1GB of RAM, doubled from the iPhone 4S's 512MB.