New photos appear to show the interior and back case of Apple’s upcoming “iPhone 5S.” The device looks to contain the redesigned logic board seen earlier this week. All of the following is merely speculation from the photos, and can as always in cases like this, should be taken with a very large grain of salt.
The photos, obtained by MacRumors, show the main chip without any labeling indicating it is an A-Series chip. It is unknown if the name was removed, or had simply never been printed on the chip. The date code visible on the bottom of the chip reads “1243,” indicating the chip was manufactured the 43rd week of 2012. Which seems to be an early date for a processor for a “next-generation” handset. As the chip is not labeled, it could simply be an early prototype.
The Apple part number on the battery is of a more recent vintage (616-0652) than the iPhone 5’s battery, and has a higher capacity of 5.92 Whr, compared to the 5.45 Whr capacity of the iPhone 5’s battery. The battery is blank in the areas where the usual regulatory logos would reside, which suggests this battery is a prototype, which has yet to receive certification.
The rear case shows a vertical pill-shaped window for the LED flash, compared to the iPhone 5’s round window. This appears to support previous rumors that said the new iPhone would boast a dual LED flash. Design drawings leaked earlier this week also showed a similarly shaped outlet for the flash.
While the new photos appear to show that, as rumored, Apple will not be making many changes to the “iPhone 5S,” it should be noted that these photos, if authentic, could show an early prototype of the phone, and could go through numerous changes before the final design is set in stone… Or glass and aluminum.
Rumors suggest Apple is likely to debut the iPhone 5S sometime around September, alongside a lower-cost plastic-shelled iPhone.
