Engineering sample photos of Apple's iPhone 5 and iPad Mini, reportedly from a trusted source inside the company's supply chain in China, have been revealed for the first time by US technology blog GottaBeMobile, showing features of the two products fans are hoping will launch in the fall.
The photos are reportedly straight from a factory in China, showing that the new iPhone will be slightly taller, thinner and about the same width as its predecessor, the 4S, echoing previous rumors that the device will have a larger touchscreen — said to be a 4-inch display supporting resolution of 1136×640.
The rear-facing camera remains on the top-left of the back of the phone, and is the same size as that of the iPhone 4S. A rear-facing microphone has been placed between the camera and flash, to be used for video recording and noise reduction. The next-generation device will also maintain the same antenna layout as the iPhone 4S, which was redesigned by Apple after issues with the antenna marred the launch of the iPhone 4 due to poor reception.
According to the photos, there may be two materials on the back of the iPhone 5. Earlier rumors say the next device may come with a metal back.
The blog also released engineering model photos of the iPad Mini, which may be launched in the third quarter of this year, showing a smaller version of the popular tablet that is slightly thinner than the current iPad, but only about two-thirds the size. The model is slightly bigger than Google's Nexus 7 tablet.
The engineering mockup show that the smaller iPad it will have a 19-pin dock connecter on the bottom and two speakers on either side, which may improve on the performance of current iPad. The current iPad speakers are almost rear-facing and easily covered up while holding the device.
The exclusive photos do not include markers for the display size, though market rumors predict that the iPad Mini may come with a 7.85-inch display. Earlier whispers suggested that the iPad Mini will have an IGZO (indium gallium zinc oxide) display made by Sharp, which would allow for a thinner and brighter screen.
The price of the iPad Mini has been estimated at US$299 for the 8GB version.
Pacific Crest analyst Andy Hargreaves suggested that the 7.85-inch iPad Mini will debut in the fourth quarter, and that Apple will stop offering the iPad 2 after the launch.
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