After photos of supposed “engineering samples” of the next-gen iPhone made the rounds earlier this week, hardware news site KitGuru (via 9to5Mac) now posts photos of what is claimed to be an actual “iPhone 5” prototype.
Contrary to KitGuru’s claims, the pictured device is almost certainly not an actual prototype. It’s rough appearance suggests it’s likely hand made (or a cheap injection molded mockup), and its non-metallic appearance suggets it’s probably not made of metal, as rumors have indicated so far.
It’s much more likely that the photo reflects either a crude mockup, or perhaps a case mold to form cases for Apple’s rumored next-gen devices. Unsurprisingly, the mockup reflects the rumored smaller dock connecter, as well as a significantly thinner design compared to the iPhone 4S. A full gallery of photos can be found at KitGuru!
While nearly all rumors now agree about the design of the next-gen iPhone, the same was true of the “iPhone 5” last year – and Apple threw a curve ball and released the iPhone 4S instead. It’s really anybody’s guess how this will actually go down.