Neil Hughes
A trio of pictures showing a device that looks very similar to the current iPhone 4 appeared this week on the Vietnamese website Tinhte. The poster who shared the leak, "cuhiep," said the pictures come from a "very reliable source."
The site has been the source of numerous Apple-related leaks in the past, including this April, when it showed off a prototype iPhone running a "test" build of iOS. That unreleased software featured an Exposé-style multitasking interface that was originally planned for inclusion in iOS 4 but was ultimately scrapped.
The same site also got its hands on an iPod touch prototype with a rear-facing camera in May of 2010, months before Apple added two cameras to the iPod touch. And that same month it showed off an updated MacBook, complete with final product packaging, that hadn't yet been announced.
The latest photos, highlighted to AppleInsider by Erich Strasser of OLED-display.net, show off a handset that looks very similar to the currently available white iPhone 4. An indication that the device is a prototype comes from the fact that the model number and various identification numbers on the rear of the device are X'ed out.
The original poster of the photos admitted (via Google Translate) that it may be "really hard to convince" people about the authenticity of the photos, because the device looks "exactly" like the white iPhone 4.
In addition to running at a speed that "seems" faster than the current iPhone 4, the handset is said to have had its front and back glass panels "replaced by two plastic sheets." He said the information comes from a "thorough and very reliable source."
In one picture, the device is shown to be "jailbroken," updating sources from the underground Cydia application store.
The report suggests that the pictured handset is a so-called "iPhone 4S," or an entry-level model that will be introduced alongside the new fifth-generation iPhone this year.
When the iPhone 4 debuted last year, Apple introduced a slightly modified iPhone 3GS with a reduced storage capacity of 8GB. Prior to the launch of the iPhone 4, the iPhone 3GS was only available in capacities of 16GB and 32GB.
The iPhone 3GS is still sold as Apple's entry-level handset, available for just $49 with a two-year mobile service contract in the U.S. The iPhone 3GS has proven so popular, it often outsells new Android devices, and has even helped AT&T add more iPhone activations than rival Verizon.
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43 Comments
Seems likely enough. I'm highly intrigued by what the iPhone 5 will bring to the table. With a low-end model a bit faster than the iPhone 4, I'm questioning whether Apple would really change materials and internal parts to make a lesser-quality product just to hit a price point. And if so, what new things will the iPhone 5 bring, if any?
Btw, am I the only one clueless as to what benefits a gesture-based home button would bring? I guess the only logical advantage I can see would be enabling task switching through swiping across it, but this seems too niche to compromise a physical button for.
Who knows; it may well be some kind of prototype. But I’m skeptical of the plastic screen (maybe for a prototype, terrible for a final) and of the idea that it “seems faster” than an iPhone 4. Other than certain specific games, I’m not sure how likely a person would be to notice a speed difference—since the 4 is already fast! Maybe if they spent a lot of time with it.
Btw, am I the only one clueless as to what benefits a gesture-based home button would bring? I guess the only logical advantage I can see would be enabling task switching through swiping across it, but this seems too niche to compromise a physical button for.
I don’t know if Apple will do it, but if so, here’s why it could be good:
* You could switch apps really easily as you say—and not need multi-finger gestures (which can conflict with certain games and music apps, and would be awkward on a phone-sized screen). Switching apps isn’t niche, and right now it requires a double-click plus a tap, and lots of visual noise, compared to the swipe-simplicity we’ve seen (on iPad) with iOS 5’s new gestures. Which may seem like a small feature, but they really make multitasking more inviting.
* Yet the button could still be clickable as usual, with the double-click recent-apps-list still available, so old habits need not change.
In addition to running at a speed that "seems" faster than the current iPhone 4, the handset is said to have had its front and back glass panels "replaced by two plastic sheets." He said the information comes from a "thorough and very reliable source."
Apple isn't going to use plastic for touch screens, never.
Although ... the magic mouse seems to have a plastic touch 'screen'.
J.
Seems reasonable to me too. The glass back is gorgeous no doubt, but if the phone is capable and looks just as nice as the classic iPhone 4, why re-engineer the whole thing?
I would imagine this is legit. Makes too much sense not be.
If they release that shitty looking thing and that's what finally comes to TMobile instead of the iPhone5, I'm gonna be pissed.