In the wake of Apple’s official announcement of next week’s iPhone media event, Rene Ritchie of iMore reports that the multitude of part leaks we’ve seen for Apple’s new iPhone are in fact accurate, and confirms that the taller two-tone design that has been making the round is definitely what the next iPhone will look like.
iMore has learned that recent parts leaks and dummy phones are accurate representations of what the new iPhone (iPhone 5,1) will look like when Apple announces it on September 12, 2012. Almost identical in design to the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S, the major visible differences will include a 4-inch display with a 16:9 aspect ratio, a metallic plate across most the back, and a miniaturized Dock connector and relocated 3.5mm headset jack along the bottom.
The report goes on to note that Apple prototyped a number of 3.5-inch and 4-inch iPhone design with this year’s model in mind, and that iLounge correctly reported details of one of those 4-inch prototypes in May. Further, Ritchie’s prediction that Apple would decide on a design sometime in July lined up perfectly with The Wall Street Journal’s confirmation that the device would enter manufacturing on July 17.
iMore previously predicted that the iPhone would officially become available for purchase on September 21 – and with a September 12 announcement date, that seems highly likely.
Rene Ritchie is no fool. He’s not just some random pundit riding a high horse, and he doesn’t take claims like this lightly. After all, his reputation is on the line when he makes such claims, so he’s not gonna go all out with a report like this unless he’s extremely confident that it is true.
Rene Ritchie and iMore are well known for providing accorate information about Apple’s future plans. For instance, Ritchie accurately predicted that Apple’s event would be held upon the 12th (and was the first to stake his reputation behind that claim).
If Ritchie is right, Apple’s next iPhone will feature a taller 4-inch screen, thinner design, and a two-tone metal rear casing, as well as a smaller dock connector, relocated FaceTime camera, new smaller nano-SIM, and LTE support.
Check out our complete iPhone rumor roundup for the full scoop on what we think we know about Apple’s next iPhone!
We’ll all find out the details for certain on September 12 – but my experience is that when a respected journalist like iMore gets behind a claim like this, they’re usually right.