Loading...Rumours of a September launch date for the Apple iPhone 5 are becoming increasingly credible as more leaked pictures become available. These latest images appear to show a fully assembled and complete iPhone 5 for the first time. We have seen the supposed backplate, front plate and blueprints as well as a whole host of engineering models, but this appears to be the first time a legitimate iPhone 5 has been assembled in all its gadgety glory.
This hints that Apple must be fairly far down the road towards full scale production because these images come from a Chinese iPhone repair website. It’s unlikely that they would be able to get their hands on something that was still in the early prototype phase or had not had its hardware pretty much signed off.
There aren’t any huge surprises in store. It features the expected two tone aluminium rear casing that seamlessly wraps around the sides of the phone. The black glass around the camera on the rear maintains some of the heritage from previous generations, but shouldn’t cause the problems with shattering that plagued some people’s iPhone 4s
The revamped 19 pin dock connecter that has got Apple enthusiasts in a quandary is evident on the base. It will essentially require current owners of Apple accessories to repurchase docks, cases and cables or acquire new adapters – either way, an added cost to iPhone owners just for the sake of increased efficiency. This controversial move might only antagonise existing iFans as this will have the same effect as increasing the cost of upgrading to the latest iPhone. It might also be seen as a slightly cynical move by Apple, which has been losing ground to Samsung in recent months in the battle for smartphone market share.
These images also feature the relocated headphone jack which brings it more in line with their iPod touch range. Although not entirely obvious, it does conform to speculation that it will feature a larger 4 inch screen, as the design in these images is clearly taller than its predecessors. The repositioned front camera (now above the phone speaker) makes far more sense for FaceTime conversations and if we’re lucky it might also be HD ready.
It’s impossible to tell from these pictures if the iPhone 5 will be lighter and thinner than previous generations, but that’s often the way with each generation. Either way, we’re getting pretty excited for a September launch and these images have only served to make us even more hyped.