While some Apple users have just learned how to jailbreak their phones after the latest iOS 6 update, photos have leaked to support rumors about the upcoming release of the Apple iPhone 5S and iPhone 6. On Thursday, a user posted some details about the alleged iPhones on the Chinese microblogging website, Sina Weibo.
He claims that he received information from a friend of his at an Apple vendor regarding the details about the new phones. The phones are alleged to have a wider screen and be longer, thinner and lighter than the current iPhone5. He also said that the phone will be released this year. In January, an analyst that has a good reputation for predicting Apple's product releases estimated that Apple may release new phones in the third quarter of this year, around June or July. KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Ku predicted that although similar, the phones would have upgrades to performance with a new A7 CPU, a fingerprint sensor and also an improved camera. Size-wise, he suggested that the phone would be about .06 mm thicker, as it would be packaged in an enclosure and consumers would be able to choose from six color schemes.
Monday, photos of the alleged devices appeared on the Web, said to be taken and leaked by an employee at one of Apple's suppliers, Foxconn. If the photos are legitimate, it supports Ku's theory about the added thickness to the phone. The leaked information said that the phone will be cheaper and a bit stockier, with a plastic casing that is 8.2mm thick, a 0.6mm difference from the previous 7.6mm aluminum casing. The phones appear to be identical otherwise, which is not uncommon for Apple. As seen in previous models, Apple tends to make hardware improvements instead of making drastic changes to the appearance of the devices. Further details about the actual specifications are unknown at this time. It appears that Apple is cutting costs to produce the newer models of phones by using plastic instead of aluminum. If there is any truth to the rumors, consumers could expect reduced priced iPhones that would be more shock resistant to accidental drops.
