With the expected introduction of Apple's iPhone 5S now less than a month away, French site Nowhereelse.fr has shared some new photos [Google translation] of an alleged iPhone 5S rear shell. While the part has been seen a number of times in the past, the site has put together some overlays and iPhone 5 comparison photos to help provide an overview of some of the changes expected for the device.
One example shows an overlay of the iPhone 5S bare logic board, which has leaked several times in recent months. The part contains a number of repositioned screw holes compared to the iPhone 5 logic board, and overlay photos shows how these holes line up exactly with mounting points on the rear shell.
Also of interest is the home button region, as Apple has been reported to be incorporating a fingerprint sensor into the part, perhaps moving to a sapphire-covered convex design to help accommodate the sensor.
Nowhereelse.fr's comparison photos show how the metal spacer shield for the home button has changed from the iPhone 5 to the iPhone 5S, with the previous nearly symmetric design moving to an asymmetric design with altered screw hole locations and an angled edge along one side.
The exact reason for the design changes on the spacer is unclear given a lack of other parts, but it seems reasonable to suspect that they may be related to accommodating the fingerprint sensor.
Apple's September 10 media event is expected to include the introduction of the iPhone 5S and perhaps the "iPhone 5C", a lower-cost model built around a plastic shell. Apple is also preparing to introduce new iPads in the coming months, although those are not expected to debut at this event.
This week marks the 10th anniversary of the Apple Watch, which launched on April 24, 2015. Yesterday, we recapped features rumored for the Apple Watch Series 11, but since 2015, the Apple Watch has also branched out into the Apple Watch Ultra and the Apple Watch SE, so we thought we'd take a look at what's next for those product lines, too.
2025 Apple Watch Ultra 3
Apple didn't update the...
Thursday April 24, 2025 8:24 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
While the so-called "iPhone 17 Air" is not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the ultra-thin device.
Overall, the iPhone 17 Air sounds like a mixed bag. While the device is expected to have an impressively thin and light design, rumors indicate it will have some compromises compared to iPhone 17 Pro models, including only a single rear camera, a...
Wednesday April 23, 2025 8:31 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
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.
Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025:
Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
Apple has completed Engineering Validation Testing (EVT) for at least one iPhone 17 model, according to a paywalled preview of an upcoming DigiTimes report.
iPhone 17 Air mockup based on rumored design
The EVT stage involves Apple testing iPhone 17 prototypes to ensure the hardware works as expected. There are still DVT (Design Validation Test) and PVT (Production Validation Test) stages to...
Apple may have canceled the super scratch resistant anti-reflective display coating that it planned to use for the iPhone 17 Pro models, according to a source with reliable information that spoke to MacRumors.
Last spring, Weibo leaker Instant Digital suggested Apple was working on a new anti-reflective display layer that was more scratch resistant than the Ceramic Shield. We haven't heard...
Apple will likely manufacture its 20th anniversary iPhone models in China, despite broader efforts to shift production to India, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
In 2027, Apple is planning a "major shake-up" for the iPhone lineup to mark two decades since the original model launched. Gurman's previous reporting indicates the company will introduce a foldable iPhone alongside a "bold"...
We've known for quite some time about Apple's plans for a thinner "iPhone 17 Air" coming later this year, but wow, the latest dummy models give us our best look yet at just how thin this phone is going to be.
Other Apple news and rumors this week included another iOS 18.5 beta, the 10th anniversary of the Apple Watch launch, and more management reshuffling in Apple's Siri division, so read...
Wow, it looks so much like last years model since we cannot take the phone apart to see the guts anyway. This is very impressive flim flam. Introduce the 5S as new when in reality its so last year. Amazining.:(
wish you had switched to Android a long time ago like you claimed you were going to so we wouldn't have to listen to your complaining.
I'm trying to understand what a fingerprint scanner gives me over just a normal home button. If anything let's get rid the big round home button and reduce the bezzle/size of the phone.
Although really I'm in the "want a bigger screen" camp.
I'm trying to understand what a fingerprint scanner gives me over just a normal home button. If anything let's get rid the big round home button and reduce the bezzle/size of the phone.
Although really I'm in the "want a bigger screen" camp.
This is what I envision, and I am excited for it to happen!