Hands On with a Physical Mockup of the iPhone 5

Over the weekend, GSM Israel posted a video of a physical mock-up of the iPhone 5 found at the IFA 2012 consumer electronics show in Berlin. The physical mockup was created by a case manufacturer to test early case designs on the upcoming iPhone.

Unknown
The Verge has since tracked down the same mockup and was able to take high quality photos and video of the device which show it well compared to the iPhone 4S.


The video does a good job showing off the size and heft of the device as compared to the current iPhone 4S. As noted in the video, this is a non-functional mockup. It's only used as dummy shell for case manufacturers. According to the case manufacturer, they are "very confident" about the new design and have started production of cases in volume in anticipation of the new iPhone.

The rumors for the design of the new iPhone have been very consistent. Apple is widely expected to announce the new iPhone on September 12th.

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro Render Front Page Tech

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 10 New Features

Sunday March 23, 2025 10:00 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. iPhone 17 Pro's alleged design via Front Page Tech Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of March 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone...
iCloud General Feature Redux

iPhone Users Who Pay for iCloud Storage Receive a New Perk

Thursday March 20, 2025 12:01 am PDT by
If you pay for iCloud storage on your iPhone, Apple has a new perk for you, at no additional cost. The new perk is the ability to create invitations in the Apple Invites app for the iPhone, which launched in the App Store last month. In the Apple Invites app, iCloud+ subscribers can create invitations for any occasion, such as birthday parties, graduations, baby showers, and more. Anyone ...
iOS 18

Top 5 New Features Coming in iOS 18.4

Friday March 21, 2025 3:26 pm PDT by
We're not getting new Siri Apple Intelligence features in iOS 18.4 as expected, but the upcoming update does have quite a few new additions that will be worth upgrading for. We've rounded up the five best features to look forward to, and if you're not running the beta, you can expect to get access to these in early April. Priority Notifications If you have an iPhone or iPad that supports...
Generic iOS 19 Feature Mock

iOS 19 Coming in June With These New Features

Thursday March 20, 2025 2:04 pm PDT by
While the first iOS 19 beta is still more than two months away, there are already plenty of rumors about the upcoming software update. Below, we recap the key iOS 19 rumors so far. visionOS-Like Design In January, the YouTube channel Front Page Tech revealed a redesigned Camera app that is allegedly planned for iOS 19. According to Front Page Tech host Jon Prosser, the Camera app...
Generic iOS 18

Apple Seeds iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4 Release Candidate With Priority Notifications, Ambient Music and More

Monday March 24, 2025 10:07 am PDT by
Apple today seeded the release candidate versions of upcoming iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4 updates to developers for testing purposes, with the software coming a week after Apple released the fourth betas. iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4 can be downloaded from the Settings app on a compatible device by going to General > Software Update. With iOS 18.4, Apple is adding the Priority Notifications...
airpods max 2024 colors

Don't Buy Into Apple's Hype About AirPods Max Gaining Lossless Audio

Monday March 24, 2025 4:24 pm PDT by
Apple today announced that AirPods Max with a USB-C port will be gaining support for lossless audio and ultra-low latency audio with a firmware update next month, alongside the release of iOS 18.4, iPadOS 18.4, and macOS 15.4. For context, audio files are typically compressed to keep file sizes smaller. There are lossy compression standards like MP3, and Apple's own Advanced Audio Codec...
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature Iridescent Search

Foldable iPhone Expected to Launch Next Year, Costing Around $2,000

Monday March 24, 2025 3:43 am PDT by
Apple will launch its long-rumored foldable iPhone next year with a ~$2,000 premium price tag attached, expects well-connected Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman. Gurman's comments on Apple's launch plans for its first foldable device appeared in the Q&A section of his latest Power On newsletter. Earlier this month, the reporter said Apple's foldable iPhone could be arriving "as early as 2026,"...
iOS 19 Rounded UI Elements Light

iOS 19: What to Expect From Apple's Dramatic Design Overhaul?

Monday March 24, 2025 9:47 am PDT by
Earlier this month, Bloomberg reported that Apple is planning "one of the most dramatic software overhauls in the company's history" – an update that aims to bring iOS, iPadOS, and macOS into closer visual alignment. The redesign is said to be "loosely based" on visionOS, the software behind Apple's Vision Pro headset, and will reportedly update the look of icons, menus, apps, windows, and...

Top Rated Comments

SteveAbootman Avatar
164 months ago
Sept 3rd - Still not a fan of the two-tone back.

Sept 12th - Will buy the new iPhone regardless

Oct 12th - Will have a case over the iPhone and will have completely forgotten about the two-tone back.
Score: 59 Votes (Like | Disagree)
daechi Avatar
164 months ago
It's the same phone but longer. These guys are geniuses...
Score: 48 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sfrancis928 Avatar
164 months ago
I said it before and I'll say it again, I want a bigger screen not a taller screen. But I am very invested in the iOS ecosystem. I'm not sure it is enough to keep me though.

The screen is taller, therefore it is bigger...
Score: 35 Votes (Like | Disagree)
intervenient Avatar
164 months ago
Can someone PLEASE explain the purpose of that ugly two tone?
Score: 31 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Tankmaze Avatar
164 months ago
Can someone PLEASE explain the purpose of that ugly two tone?

Antennas.
Score: 30 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Aidan5806 Avatar
164 months ago
Can someone PLEASE explain the purpose of that ugly two tone?

It is the result of a unibody design that increases structural rigidity and allows the phone to be thinner.


Also to everyone saying this is just a stretched 4s, you are incredibly ignorant. The fact is, if many of the rumors are true, this could potentially be the biggest upgrade to the iPhone ever and some of you seem to be cherry picking these leaks for things to criticize. We are potentially looking at a fully upgraded external design with a larger screen, an incredibly thin design, unibody integration, and that's not even scratching the surface. On the inside I think we'll see an all new A6 chip with dramatic enhancements, 1gb of faster ram, a larger battery, 4g LTE, a new faster dock connector, and possibly a better FaceTime camera and NFC. HOW ARE SOME OF YOU STILL SAYING THIS ISN'T A BIG UPGRADE. IT'S CHANGING SOME OF THE MOST FUNDAMENTAL ELEMENTS OF THE IPHONE FOR THE BETTER. WHAT ARE YOU COMPLAINING ABOUT?!?!!
Score: 26 Votes (Like | Disagree)