The rampant "iPad Mini" rumors have taken a slight recess in the past couple of days, making way for more talk of the next iPhone, which is expected to ship within the next few months. The rumor mill has been indicating a longer form factor, larger screen, smaller dock connector, modified speaker grills, and a repositioned headphone jack, and the so-called "exclusive" leak by KitGuru appears to suggest those changes will be implemented.
KitGuru claims to have "operatives across the globe," and have posted shots from the rough-looking prototype device from almost every angle possible. The blog also states the device is a "pre-release sample," so the papier-mâché appearance is not the actual finish Apple will strive to achieve.
KitGuru also adds a little information with regards to the larger screen. Rivals such as HTC, and in particular, Samsung, have blurred the line somewhat between tablet and smartphone by releasing devices with colossal screens, and the latter of the two even released the world’s first "phablet" device – an attempt to create a phone and table in one – with the Galaxy Note.
Steve Jobs always wanted Apple products to show clear distinction of which is which, and it is for this reason why, although the screen size will become larger, it still won’t offer the real estate of the aforementioned Android vendors. Moreover, the way iOS works limits what Apple can do in terms of display size, specifically ’1x’ and ’2x’ nature of app sizes.
KitGuru, like most, seems pretty sold on the "iPhone 5" moniker, but, as has been discussed several times in the past, it will actually be the sixth iPhone iteration. Furthermore, with Apple ditching the labeling of the third iPad released back in March, there’s every chance the iPhonewill join the same format.
Whatever the case may be with the name, as time goes on, the likelihood of the depicted device being representative of the final product seems more probable. We’ve yet to see any convincing alternatives, and although the blogosphere is often a case of the blind leading the blind in respect to rumors, such a high number of apparently independent leaks continues to make these rumors all the more plausible.
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