Parts firm ETrade Supply has posted photos of what it believes could be the rear shell for the next-generation iPhone, the so called iPhone 5S.
The part is extremely similar to that from the iPhone 5, in line with Apple’s pattern of maintaining a given body style for two generations before making more significant modifications. This iPhone 5S part is, however, distinctly different from its iPhone 5 counterpart in several ways, most obviously in the arrangement of the screw holes for attaching the logic board.
In addition to the logic board screw holes, other subtle differences are visible, as highlighted in the above photo comparison.
The exterior of the shell has the same text as seen on the iPhone 5, excepting placeholders for such information as model, IMEI, and regulatory identifiers.
It is possible that these photos are of an old iPhone 5 prototype design, or a fake or knockoff. But at first glance, the parts do seem to be of a high quality, and surely any knockoff parts intended for replacement of genuine iPhone 5 parts would retain the 5’s pattern of logic board screw holes.
A report from DigiTimes last month said that trial production was already underway for the “iPhone 5S”, and that Apple was targeting the device for a launch in the “middle of 2013.”
Let the joyous season called the “Time of iPhone Rumors” begin!
