First Claimed Images of iPhone 5S Rear Shell Surface

Parts firm ETrade Supply has posted several photos of what it believes may be the rear shell for next-generation iPhone, which we are referring to as the iPhone 5S in accordance with Apple's recent pattern of naming the devices.

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.

iphone 5s 5 rear shells
Comparison of iPhone 5S and iPhone 5 rear shells with logic board screw holes boxed in red

Aside from the logic board screw holes, there are other subtle differences between the two parts highlighted in purple, blue, and yellow in the photo comparison.

iphone 5s shell exterior
The exterior of the shell contains the same text as seen on the iPhone 5, with placeholders being used for the various model, IMEI, and regulatory identifiers.

Given that the origin of the photos is unknown, it is certainly possible that this part is an old iPhone 5 prototype design that was discarded in favor of the design that was ultimately used. Alternatively, the part could also be a fake or a knockoff, although at a glance the part seems to show similar levels of quality to that seen on the genuine iPhone 5 part and a knockoff part intended to be used for replacement on iPhone 5 devices would be certain to retain the arrangement of logic board screw holes.

A pair of reports from DigiTimes last month indicated that trial production on the iPhone 5S is already underway with Apple targeting the "middle of 2013" for a launch.

Related Forum: iPhone

Top Rated Comments

iapplelove Avatar
150 months ago
here we go.
Score: 40 Votes (Like | Disagree)
CaTOAGU Avatar
150 months ago
Wow so Apple is really moving the iDevice line to a 6-8 month upgrade cycle, much like where their Mac line used to fall ... until it took the backseat.

I'm not sure I understand how 12 months is too slow when most people take out 2 year contracts when they buy these things.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ECUpirate44 Avatar
150 months ago
I'm not buying this "middle of 2013" stuff for a second.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
iMcLovin Avatar
150 months ago
Ah finally. My iphone 5 has all ready a few scuffs and I'm eager for a new phone all ready.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Dwalls90 Avatar
150 months ago
I'm not buying this "middle of 2013" stuff for a second.

Why?

It's been made clear the 12-15 month cycle was too slow. I think we'll see new iDevices every 9 or less months from here on out to keep up.

I'd rather see a NEW iPhone 6, 7, 8, ect. every year, and an "S" as a halfway mark upgrade.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sazivad Avatar
150 months ago
That's right, folks. It has already begun.

Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

General Apps Messages

iMessage Down for Some Users [Update: Service Restored]

Thursday May 16, 2024 3:00 pm PDT by
The iMessage service that Apple users to send messages to one another appears to be down for some users, and messages are failing to go out or are taking an extra long time to send. There are numerous reports about the issue on social networks and a spike of outage reports on Down Detector, but Apple's System Status page is not yet reporting an outage. Update: Apple's status page says...
iOS 17

Troubling iOS 17.5 Bug Reportedly Resurfacing Old Deleted Photos

Wednesday May 15, 2024 5:29 am PDT by
There are concerning reports on Reddit that Apple's latest iOS 17.5 update has introduced a bug that causes old photos that were deleted – in some cases years ago – to reappear in users' photo libraries. After updating their iPhone, one user said they were shocked to find old NSFW photos that they deleted in 2021 suddenly showing up in photos marked as recently uploaded to iCloud. Other...
iphone 15 pro max vs iphone 16 pro max

iPhone 16 Pro Max Looks This Much Bigger Beside iPhone 15 Pro Max

Thursday May 16, 2024 4:51 am PDT by
This year's upcoming iPhone 16 Pro Max is expected to get a boost in overall size from 6.7-inches to 6.9-inches, and a new image gives us a good idea of how the current iPhone 15 Pro Max compares to what could be Apple's largest ever iPhone. The image above, posted on X by ZONEofTECH, shows a dummy model representing the ‌iPhone 16 Pro‌ Max alongside an actual iPhone 15 Pro Max. Dummy...
iOS 17

iOS 17.5 Bug May Also Resurface Deleted Photos on Wiped, Sold Devices

Friday May 17, 2024 12:24 pm PDT by
A bug in iOS 17.5 is apparently causing photos that have been deleted to reappear, and the issue seems to impact even iPhones and iPads that have been erased and sold off to other people. A Reddit user wiped an iPad following Apple's guidelines in September of 2023 before selling it off to a friend. That friend updated the iPad to iPadOS 17.5 this week, and began seeing the Reddit user's old ...
oled m4 ipad pro grainy display reports

OLED iPad Pro Users Report 'Grainy' Displays, But It May Not Be a Defect

Friday May 17, 2024 5:57 am PDT by
Some new M4 iPad Pro models are exhibiting a visible static grain pattern across the OLED display, according to several user reports on Reddit (1, 2, 3) and the MacRumors Forums. Image credit: MacRumors user bk215 Users who see the grain generally report that it is most noticeable in dark environments with the display set at a low to medium brightness while viewing content with gray or muted...
Delta Hands On Feature

iPhone Emulators on the App Store: Game Boy, N64, PS1, PSP, and More

Thursday May 16, 2024 12:45 pm PDT by
In April, Apple updated its guidelines to allow retro game emulators on the App Store, and several popular emulators have already been released. The emulators released so far allow iPhone users to play games released for older consoles from Nintendo, Sony, SEGA, Atari, and others. A list of some popular emulators available on the App Store so far follows. Released Delta Delta is...