First iPhone 5S Photos Leaked

Even though the iPhone 5 has been available for only three months, a fellow tech website claims to already have leaked photos of an iPhone 5S prototype.  The wireless repair parts supply website ETradeSupply posted the leaked photos of the iPhone 5S this afternoon, which allegedly were obtained by the folks over at iPhone5parts.net.

There are two leaked photos that show the rear casing and rear housing of the alleged 7th generation iPhone.  As you can see from the photos below, it appears that the rear casing is identical to the current iPhone 5.  However, there are some noticeable differences between the rear housing of the current iPhone 5 and the alleged next generation version.  The three screws on the right side have a different arrangement in the alleged iPhone 5S, and there are two fewer screws to lock the LCD screen in place.  Additionally, the shape of the microphone receiver at the bottom of the rear housing fully circular compared to the current iPhone 5.

Apple rumors seem to come about every week, but lately they have been more on target than in past years.  The photos show what is fairly confident to be a prototype based on the numerous “X” characters displayed on the rear casing (as is typical for prototypes).  These changes are perhaps somewhat subtle but at least suggest that different parts may be in the picture for the next version of the iPhone, particularly the LCD screen.  Though, like the upgrade from iPhone 4 to iPhone 4S, it looks like Apple will stick with the exact same dimensions.

Images copyright ETradeSupply, 2012.