M.I.C. Gadget reports on photos and a video that have surfaced on Chinese site Vgooo.com [Google translation] claiming to show an iPhone 5 that boots to a screen warning that the device is not associated with a registered developer account. Several apparent features of the device do, however, call its authenticity into question, and so we are primarily posting this for interest and discussion at this point.
The video shows the device attempting to boot but being directed to a version of the error screen that appears when activation can not be completed. Rather than linking to the iPhone developer portal, however, the text contains a placeholder string of "@@url@@".
One questionable aspect of the device is the presence of a fourth hole or window at the top front of the device that has generally not been visible from the front in previous part leaks. In the iPhone 5, the camera has been moved to above the earpiece, swapping places with the proximity sensor that moves to the left of the earpiece. This leaked device contains a small fourth hole to the left of the camera, and while previous photos showing the backside of the front panel do indeed show the window, it is has not been visible from the front in any previous leaked photos.
This leaked device also contains a rather odd-looking home button in comparison to the home button seen on the iPhone 4S placed next to it in the photos and video. Apple has tweaked the design of the home button for the iPhone 5, but the button shown in the video appears to be a somewhat poor match for the device itself.
Otherwise, identifying information on the device has been either covered up or digitally obscured, rendering any specific model number or other information impossible to read.
Thursday February 20, 2025 5:06 am PST by Tim Hardwick
Now that Apple has announced its new more affordable iPhone 16e, our thoughts turn to what else we are expecting from the company this spring.
There are three product categories that we are definitely expecting to get upgraded before spring has ended. Keep reading to learn what they are. If we're lucky, Apple might make a surprise announcement about a completely new product category.
M4...
Friday February 21, 2025 1:08 pm PST by Juli Clover
Apple finally released the first beta of iOS 18.4 to developers for testing purposes, and while the beta is lacking some of the Apple Intelligence features we were hoping for, there are some notable new additions.
Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos.
Priority Notifications - Apple Intelligence
There is a new Priority Notifications feature that can show you your most...
Wednesday February 19, 2025 8:02 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple today introduced the iPhone 16e, its newest entry-level smartphone. The device succeeds the third-generation iPhone SE, which has now been discontinued.
The iPhone 16e features a larger 6.1-inch OLED display, up from a 4.7-inch LCD on the iPhone SE. The display has a notch for Face ID, and this means that Apple no longer sells any iPhones with a Touch ID fingerprint button, marking the ...
Friday February 21, 2025 11:06 am PST by Juli Clover
In iOS 18.4, there's a new Ambient Music option that can be added to Control Center. There are four different sound categories, including Sleep, Chill, Productivity, and Wellbeing.
Each category can be added to Control Center separately, and tapping one plays a random selection of sounds or music from that particular category.
You can't choose what's playing from Control Center, but if...
Tuesday February 18, 2025 12:02 pm PST by Joe Rossignol
Over the years, Apple has switched from an aluminum frame to a stainless steel frame to a titanium frame for its highest-end iPhones. And now, it has been rumored that Apple will go back to using aluminum for three out of four iPhone 17 models.
In an investor note with research firm GF Securities, obtained by MacRumors this week, Apple supply chain analyst Jeff Pu said the iPhone 17, iPhone...
Friday February 21, 2025 8:01 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple has confirmed that its custom-designed C1 modem in the iPhone 16e has nothing to do with the device's lack of MagSafe support, according to Macworld.
Following the launch of the iPhone 16e, there was some speculation online about how MagSafe magnets might have interfered with the C1 modem's cellular connectivity performance, and this was considered to be a potential reason for the...
Wednesday February 19, 2025 11:38 am PST by Juli Clover
Following the launch of the iPhone 16e, Apple updated its iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia pages to give a narrower timeline on when the next updates are set to launch.
All three pages now state that new Apple Intelligence features and languages will launch in early April, an update from the more broader April timeframe that Apple provided before. The next major point updates will be iOS ...
Thursday February 20, 2025 8:55 am PST by Tim Hardwick
Oppo has launched the Find N5, the world's thinnest foldable phone yet. When closed, the book-style foldable measures 8.93mm. That's less than a millimeter thicker than an iPhone 16 Pro, and thinner than the Honor Magic V3, which was the previous record holder.
The device is barely thicker than its USB-C port. Indeed, Oppo has suggested that the obstacle to making it any thinner is now "the...
* Pin in the dock
* White bands rather than chrome we've previously seen
* The screen appears to be a little off kilter (a.k.a. digitally imposed)
* There is tape on the back where the logos are because they didn't put the logos on
* Extra sensors we've never seen
* Sleep/Wake button looks oddly shaped compared to the 4s
* Odd home button
