
As Apple’s annual iPhone refresh cycle draws near, the number of rumors regarding the so-called “iPhone 5S” continue to grow, with the latest being a set of photos claiming to show the handset in near complete form. The images obtained by MacRumors, appear to show an almost fully assembled next-gen iPhone. A closer inspection of the pictures seems to yield more questions than answers though.
The first image of the supposed iPhone 5S internals seems to be in line with several rumored part leaks, which include the handset’s logic board, loudspeaker, SIM card tray, vibration motor, and other smaller components. If you take a closer look at the picture though, you’ll get a better perspective of the chassis and the build as a whole and doing so leads to the conclusion that what is seen is either a prototype or hybrid of the current iPhone 5 and components from an unreleased version of the device.
The vibration motor is clearly visible on the top left with its single weight. This counters a recently “leaked” photo showing that the next-gen iPhone would be using a dual-weight system. The logic board looks to be the same as the part revealed earlier in the week as seen by the display connectors which have been repositioned in respect to the existing model. Photos of a display assembly and attached flex cables leaked the same day matched up with the board’s connection almost perfectly, suggesting the two parts may be legitimate.
Right underneath the display plugs is an unlabeled processor with a small Apple logo. The arrangement of capacitors lines up with the CPU and as noted by MacRumors, the screen-printed numbering suggests that the chip was made in late October of 2012, which is a very early run for a next-gen handset. At the bottom of the picture is the speaker, which sits on top of flex cables belonging to the microphone and Lightning dock connector, both of which are parts congruent with the supposedly “leaked” components pictured earlier in the month. Last but not least, the battery carries markings that point to a capacity of 5.92 Watt-hours in comparison to the iPhone 5 which has a 5.45 Watt-hours unit.

The second image shows the iPhone 5S back casing, though the details don’t seem to add up to a next-gen handset. The model number on the back appears to be “A1214,” which is a designation that has never been seen on the iPhone before. Apple’s GSM version of the iPhone 4S moved onto a naming convention of “A14XX,” which continues with the current iPhone 5. It’s possible that the model number signifies a probable prototype but it isn’t known for sure. Despite being a bit blurry, the image shows the much-rumored dual-flash positioned near the rear-facing camera.
Taking the information we do know from the pictures coupled with the fact that there seems to be some wear and tear in the photos, it can be concluded that the images may show an early prototype of the device. If the pictures are legitimate, it shows that Apple has changed very little when it comes to design and has only made some minor upgrades to the internal specifications of the device. This falls into place with the previous iPhone conventions when it comes to “S” models.
Source: MacRumors
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