iPhone 5S Rumors: Latest Leaked Photos May Be iPhone 5 Clone
Images of Apple's next-generation iPhone 5S were reportedly leaked by a Chinese news site over the weekend.
The pictures were first posted by the Chinese-language site sjbbs.zol.com and later picked up by 9 to 5 Mac, which seemingly showed that the device is very similar in looks and design to the current iPhone 5 model.
The assembly line images are said to have been taken from inside a Foxconn factory. The exterior design of the device pictured matched the current model, but there are several differences with the device's internal layout that can also be seen in the photos.
However, the validity of the images was called into question as the device picture may be nothing more than an iPhone 5 clone instead of the next generation iPhone 5S, according to GottaBeMobile.
These pictures are only the latest in a series of alleged leaks that show the next smartphone by Apple. Other photos were posted on Jan. 25 on the French website Nowhereelse.fr, which claimed to show parts for either the iPhone 5S or possibly the iPhone 6.
The source of the French leak was reportedly by an employee of the Far Eastern company that manufactures various smartphone parts for Apple.
One of the photos allegedly showed next generation parts that have differences in size and shape. If the images are valid they are most likely new design tests for the iPhone 5S, as it may be a bit too early for Apple to prepare for the release of the iPhone 6, according to SlashGear.
Another photo compared the smartphone parts side-by-side and showed a thin iPhone 5S speaker enclosure. The same showed several design changes from the iPhone 5 backside to the claimed iPhone 5S back. The biggest changes are in the red rectangle with visible changes to the logic board attachment area and fewer screws used to hold the LCD in place as shown by the blue lines.
The next iPhone is expected to launch as early June 2013.
