Hands On with a Physical Mockup of the iPhone 5

Over the weekend, GSM Israel posted a video of a physical mock-up of the iPhone 5 found at the IFA 2012 consumer electronics show in Berlin. The physical mockup was created by a case manufacturer to test early case designs on the upcoming iPhone.

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The Verge has since tracked down the same mockup and was able to take high quality photos and video of the device which show it well compared to the iPhone 4S.


The video does a good job showing off the size and heft of the device as compared to the current iPhone 4S. As noted in the video, this is a non-functional mockup. It's only used as dummy shell for case manufacturers. According to the case manufacturer, they are "very confident" about the new design and have started production of cases in volume in anticipation of the new iPhone.

The rumors for the design of the new iPhone have been very consistent. Apple is widely expected to announce the new iPhone on September 12th.

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Top Rated Comments

SteveAbootman Avatar
174 months ago
Sept 3rd - Still not a fan of the two-tone back.

Sept 12th - Will buy the new iPhone regardless

Oct 12th - Will have a case over the iPhone and will have completely forgotten about the two-tone back.
Score: 59 Votes (Like | Disagree)
daechi Avatar
174 months ago
It's the same phone but longer. These guys are geniuses...
Score: 48 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sfrancis928 Avatar
174 months ago
I said it before and I'll say it again, I want a bigger screen not a taller screen. But I am very invested in the iOS ecosystem. I'm not sure it is enough to keep me though.

The screen is taller, therefore it is bigger...
Score: 35 Votes (Like | Disagree)
intervenient Avatar
174 months ago
Can someone PLEASE explain the purpose of that ugly two tone?
Score: 31 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Tankmaze Avatar
174 months ago
Can someone PLEASE explain the purpose of that ugly two tone?

Antennas.
Score: 30 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Aidan5806 Avatar
174 months ago
Can someone PLEASE explain the purpose of that ugly two tone?

It is the result of a unibody design that increases structural rigidity and allows the phone to be thinner.


Also to everyone saying this is just a stretched 4s, you are incredibly ignorant. The fact is, if many of the rumors are true, this could potentially be the biggest upgrade to the iPhone ever and some of you seem to be cherry picking these leaks for things to criticize. We are potentially looking at a fully upgraded external design with a larger screen, an incredibly thin design, unibody integration, and that's not even scratching the surface. On the inside I think we'll see an all new A6 chip with dramatic enhancements, 1gb of faster ram, a larger battery, 4g LTE, a new faster dock connector, and possibly a better FaceTime camera and NFC. HOW ARE SOME OF YOU STILL SAYING THIS ISN'T A BIG UPGRADE. IT'S CHANGING SOME OF THE MOST FUNDAMENTAL ELEMENTS OF THE IPHONE FOR THE BETTER. WHAT ARE YOU COMPLAINING ABOUT?!?!!
Score: 26 Votes (Like | Disagree)