While all the focus has been on potential iPhone 5 cases, @Chronicwire posts new images of Otterbox case boxes specifically labeled for the "iPhone 4S". He goes on to claim that Otterbox has produced 3,000,000 cases for the "iPhone 4S".
While chronic does not have photos of the actual case, the rear of the box curiously appears to show the volume buttons on the right side of the device above the SIM-card slot rather than on the left as in the iPhone 4. But part leaks for the iPhone 4S have not revealed such a change, so it is unclear which is the correct depiction of the forthcoming device.
Meanwhile, BGR had claimed that AT&T stores have already refreshed iPhone 4 cases with a change in the back opening for the camera. BGR initially speculated that the cases could be for a camera sensor that may have been changed for the rumored 8-megapixel camera in the iPhone 4S. But in an update to the post, BGR notes that multiple people have indicated that the new cases are simply a revision of the existing iPhone 4 cases to address issues with LED flash performance.
Earlier this month, we received an unconfirmed tip that at least one Apple store received a batch of iPhone 4 bumper cases that didn't fit quite right. Customer returns had suggested the bumpers were a tighter fit with some slight button alignment issues. The tipster had suggested that this may have been an early batch of modified cases, but we had heard no similar reports.
Apple is planning to release a new iPhone in October, but there have been conflicting rumors about what models they are planning to introduce. A recent report suggested that Apple would only be releasing a slightly modified iPhone 4-like device (dubbed "iPhone 4S") rather than a more dramatically redesigned iPhone 5.
Update: As several posters have pointed out the boxes for Otterbox's existing iPhone 4 case similarly show the buttons on the right side of the device, suggesting that the placement in the illustration was simply a means to show both the volume buttons and SIM-card slot in a single cutaway photo of the case.
Friday December 5, 2025 9:40 am PST by Tim Hardwick
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 ...
Tuesday December 2, 2025 11:09 am PST by Juli Clover
Apple is encouraging iPhone users who are still running iOS 18 to upgrade to iOS 26 by making the iOS 26 software upgrade option more prominent.
Since iOS 26 launched in September, it has been displayed as an optional upgrade at the bottom of the Software Update interface in the Settings app. iOS 18 has been the default operating system option, and users running iOS 18 have seen iOS 18...
Wednesday December 3, 2025 10:33 am PST by Juli Clover
Apple today seeded the release candidate versions of upcoming iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 updates to developers and public beta testers, with the software coming two weeks after Apple seeded the third betas. The release candidates represent the final versions of iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 that will be provided to the public if no further bugs are found during this final week of testing....
Thursday December 4, 2025 9:30 am PST by Joe Rossignol
In a statement shared with Bloomberg on Wednesday, Apple confirmed that its software design chief Alan Dye will be leaving. Apple said Dye will be succeeded by Stephen Lemay, who has been a software designer at the company since 1999.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that Dye will lead a new creative studio within the company's AR/VR division Reality Labs.
On his blog Daring Fireball,...
Monday December 1, 2025 4:37 pm PST by Juli Clover
We're getting closer to the launch of the final major iOS update of the year, with Apple set to release iOS 26.2 in December. We've had three betas so far and are expecting a fourth beta or a release candidate this week, so a launch could follow as soon as next week.
Past Launch Dates
Apple's past iOS x.2 updates from the last few years have all happened right around the middle of the...
Monday December 1, 2025 3:00 am PST by Tim Hardwick
Apple is expected to launch a new foldable iPhone next year, based on multiple rumors and credible sources. The long-awaited device has been rumored for years now, but signs increasingly suggest that 2026 could indeed be the year that Apple releases its first foldable device.
Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos.
Below, we've collated an updated set of key details that ...
Friday December 5, 2025 10:08 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Intel is expected to begin supplying some Mac and iPad chips in a few years, and the latest rumor claims the partnership might extend to the iPhone.
In a research note with investment firm GF Securities this week, obtained by MacRumors, analyst Jeff Pu said he and his colleagues "now expect" Intel to reach a supply deal with Apple for at least some non-pro iPhone chips starting in 2028....
A U.S. appeals court has upheld a temporary restraining order that prevents OpenAI and Jony Ive's new hardware venture from using the name "io" for products similar to those planned by AI audio startup iyO, Bloomberg Law reports.
iyO sued OpenAI earlier this year after the latter announced its partnership with Ive's new firm, arguing that OpenAI's planned "io" branding was too close to its...
The iPhone Air has recorded the steepest early resale value drop of any iPhone model in years, with new data showing that several configurations have lost almost 50% of their value within ten weeks of launch.
According to a ten-week analysis published by SellCell, Apple's latest lineup is showing a pronounced split in resale performance between the iPhone 17 models and the iPhone Air....
Thursday December 4, 2025 5:18 am PST by Tim Hardwick
iPhone 17 Pro models, it turns out, can't take photos in Night mode when Portrait mode is selected in the Camera app – a capability that's been available on Apple's Pro devices since the iPhone 12 Pro in 2020.
If you're an iPhone 17 Pro or iPhone 17 Pro Max owner, try it for yourself: Open the Camera app with Photo selected in the carousel, then cover the rear lenses with your hand to...
You all need to stop thinking iPhone 5 is coming in October. It'll follow the pattern of previous years. Being, 3G, 3GS, 4G and now 4GS. Makes complete sense. There never was going to be a redesigned iPhone 5 and there's absolutely no proof that points towards it. Just rumour sites like this with people thinking what they want to think then making it fact.
