iPhone 5 with Metal Chassis and Less Than 4" Screen?

Digitimes offers a bit of a strange report this morning that just seems to reinforce some details that have been previously reported about the iPhone 5.

The strangest bit, however, is that their report attempts to refute a fake "leak" video that circulated on YouTube earlier this month.

Despite rumors about iPhone 5 featuring a 4.2-inch panel circulating within the IT market for a while, following a leak from Apple's website in Switzerland in early August

The referenced "leak" video was a clear fake. They seem to have taken the video seriously, but at the least they refute the details of the leak citing "upstream panel suppliers."

Instead, their sources indicate the iPhone 5 will include a 3.5 to 3.7-inch panel "with a design to allow the bezel of the panel to become thinner and make the screen look larger." They also report that the glass back of the current iPhone 4 will be changed to a "metal chassis".

iphone5iPhone 5 artist rendition with 3.7" screen and circular home button

Despite the confused nature of the report, these details come at an interesting time, as the vision of the iPhone 5 has become increasing confused.

Last week, we saw a number of part leaks for a device that looks just like the iPhone 4, but carrying an upgraded A5 processor. That device carried an internal name of 'N94' which was previously believed to be the iPhone 5. Over the last few months, multiple conflicting sources have described the iPhone 5 as both thinner and lighter as well as largely identical to the iPhone 4. The "largely identical" report came from Reuters who did say that the new device would have a "bigger touch screen".

The only concrete design that we've seen is one of a leaked design spec but we've not yet seen any related parts leak out into the supply system.

Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Coming Soon With These 8 New Features on Your iPhone

Thursday December 11, 2025 8:49 am PST by
Apple seeded the second iOS 26.2 Release Candidate to developers earlier this week, meaning the update will be released to the general public very soon. Apple confirmed iOS 26.2 would be released in December, but it did not provide a specific date. We expect the update to be released by early next week. iOS 26.2 includes a handful of new features and changes on the iPhone, such as a new...
Google maps feaure

Google Maps Quietly Added This Long-Overdue Feature for Drivers

Wednesday December 10, 2025 2:52 am PST by
Google Maps on iOS quietly gained a new feature recently that automatically recognizes where you've parked your vehicle and saves the location for you. Announced on LinkedIn by Rio Akasaka, Google Maps' senior product manager, the new feature auto-detects your parked location even if you don't use the parking pin function, saves it for up to 48 hours, and then automatically removes it once...
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature 1

Apple to Make More Foldable iPhones Than Expected [Updated]

Tuesday December 9, 2025 9:59 am PST by
Apple has ordered 22 million OLED panels from Samsung Display for the first foldable iPhone, signaling a significantly larger production target than the display industry had previously anticipated, ET News reports. In the now-seemingly deleted report, ET News claimed that Samsung plans to mass-produce 11 million inward-folding OLED displays for Apple next year, as well as 11 million...
iOS 26

15 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 26.2

Friday December 5, 2025 9:40 am PST by
Apple is about to release iOS 26.2, the second major point update for iPhones since iOS 26 was rolled out in September, and there are at least 15 notable changes and improvements worth checking out. We've rounded them up below. Apple is expected to roll out iOS 26.2 to compatible devices sometime between December 8 and December 16. When the update drops, you can check Apple's servers for the ...
AirPods Pro Firmware Feature

Apple Releases New Firmware for AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Pro 3

Thursday December 11, 2025 11:28 am PST by
Apple today released new firmware designed for the AirPods Pro 3 and the prior-generation AirPods Pro 2. The AirPods Pro 3 firmware is 8B30, up from 8B25, while the AirPods Pro 2 firmware is 8B28, up from 8B21. There's no word on what's include in the updated firmware, but the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Pro 3 are getting expanded support for Live Translation in the European Union in iOS...
AirTag 2 Mock Feature

Apple AirTag 2: Four New Features Found in iOS 26 Code

Thursday December 11, 2025 10:31 am PST by
The AirTag 2 will include a handful of new features that will improve tracking capabilities, according to a new report from Macworld. The site says that it was able to access an internal build of iOS 26, which includes references to multiple unreleased products. Here's what's supposedly coming: An improved pairing process, though no details were provided. AirTag pairing is already...
iOS 26

Apple Seeds Second iOS 26.2 Release Candidate to Developers and Public Beta Testers

Monday December 8, 2025 10:18 am PST by
Apple today seeded the second release candidate version of iOS 26.2 to developers and public beta testers, with the software coming one week after Apple seeded the first RC. The release candidate represents the final version iOS 26.2 that will be provided to the public if no further bugs are found. Registered developers and public beta testers can download the betas from the Settings app on...
iPhone 14 Pro Dynamic Island

iPhone 18 Pro Leak Adds New Evidence for Under-Display Face ID

Monday December 8, 2025 4:54 am PST by
Apple is actively testing under-screen Face ID for next year's iPhone 18 Pro models using a special "spliced micro-transparent glass" window built into the display, claims a Chinese leaker. According to "Smart Pikachu," a Weibo account that has previously shared accurate supply-chain details on Chinese Android hardware, Apple is testing the special glass as a way to let the TrueDepth...
ipad blue prime day

iPad 12 Rumored to Get iPhone 17's A19 Chip, Breaking Apple Tradition

Wednesday December 10, 2025 12:22 pm PST by
The next-generation low-cost iPad will use Apple's A19 chip, according to a report from Macworld. Macworld claims to have seen an "internal Apple code document" with information about the 2026 iPad lineup. Prior documentation discovered by MacRumors suggested that the iPad 12 would be equipped with an A18 chip, not an A19 chip. The A19 chip was just released this year in the iPhone 17, and...
studio display purple

Apple Studio Display 2 Code Hints at 120Hz ProMotion, HDR, A19 Chip

Thursday December 11, 2025 4:19 am PST by
Apple's next-generation Studio Display is expected to arrive early next year, and a new report allegedly provides a couple more details on the external monitor's capabilities. According to internal Apple code seen by Macworld, the new external display will feature a variable refresh rate capable of up to 120Hz – aka ProMotion – as well as support for HDR content. The current Studio...

Top Rated Comments

karlth Avatar
187 months ago
Anything smaller than a 13" screen on the iPhone will be a disappointment.

I want people to cower in fear when I answer the phone.
Score: 26 Votes (Like | Disagree)
RobertMartens Avatar
187 months ago
Can we just get a date for the event

Look, MacRumors is exactly that, a rumors site. It is not an escort service. You are going to have to find your own date. There must be someone at work you can ask. Good luck.
Score: 24 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Žalgiris Avatar
187 months ago

i agree, even iOS looks dated and getting boring. they can change the hardware as much as they want, the OS is still gonna be boring after having owned 3 generations

Yep let's change things for the sake of change. When people talk this nonsense, makes it clear they have no idea what they are talking about.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
montycat Avatar
187 months ago
I hope it has the bigger screen.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Wingsy Avatar
187 months ago
i agree, even iOS looks dated and getting boring. they can change the hardware as much as they want, the OS is still gonna be boring after having owned 3 generations

And each generation got better & better, kinda like the evolution of MacOS which has been around for 10 years. Or Windows XP, we had that for 10+ years. Not sure what it is you're wanting. A brand new OS isn't something a company like Apple (or any other) can pop out every 3 years or so.

Perhaps what you need is to use another mobile OS for a while (Android comes to mind). That should make you appreciate your boring ole iOS.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
kyjaotkb Avatar
187 months ago
looks like Apple is better at blurring the rumors related to the future iPhone... this time...
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)