According to a new report from 9to5Mac, Apple has already begun internal testing on new iPhone hardware. The prototype is reportedly based on a version of the A5X chip used in the new iPad, and contains 1GB of RAM. Apple is also reportedly using current iPhone 4/4S casings for the prototype to help conceal its identity.
Much like they did last year, Apple has internally seeded a prototype next-generation iPhone with the iPhone 4 design. The actual next-generation iPhone is specifically said to not include the iPhone 4/4S design, but Apple is testing these new devices in older casings to throw off leaks. The purpose of the prototype iPhone that we heard about is to test a variation of the “A5X” chip in an iPhone.
It’s possible that the actual next-gen iPhone will use an A5X chip. However, as the A5X was specifically created with the new iPad’s Retina display in mind, the chip would not bring any type of speed increase to the new iPhone, but would instead mainly improve the device’s graphics performance, as well as its multitasking abilities (due to its inclusion of 1GB of RAM – up from 512MB in the iPhone 4S).
While Apple is currently testing the new hardware in an iPhone 4S casing, Apple’s next-gen handset is rumored to feature a new design (after all, the iPhone 4 design is already two generations old). The prototype hardware has reportedly been given a code name of N96,
