Mac Otakara points to a blog post [Google translation] from case design firm MGM showing off a new case intended to fit Apple's rumored lower-cost iPhone. The photos reveal a case that is largely identical to iPhone 5 cases, with the exception of being approximately 2 mm thicker.
iPhone 5 case (left) vs. lower-cost iPhone case (right)
Mac Otakara has also posted a hands-on video of the case. In the video, an iPhone 5 is placed into the case and appears to fit fairly well. It is clear, however, that the case is intended for a device with rounded edges rather than the squared edges of the iPhone 5.
Descriptions of the lower-cost iPhone having curved rear edges date back to a January report from iLounge that suggested the device would adopt curvature similar to the iPod classic, while appearing as a cross between the iPhone 5 and fifth-generation iPod touch in other respects.
Apple's lower-cost iPhone is expected to be introduced in the September timeframe and has been rumored to be including a number of color options in order to help differentiate the device from Apple's main iPhone line.
Case designs have accurately hinted at Apple's design plans a number of times in the past, although case makers have on occasion been fooled as was seen in 2011.
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...
Wednesday December 10, 2025 2:52 am PST by Tim Hardwick
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...
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 ...
Monday December 8, 2025 4:54 am PST by Tim Hardwick
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...
Monday December 8, 2025 10:18 am PST by Juli Clover
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...
Thursday December 11, 2025 8:49 am PST by Joe Rossignol
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...
Monday December 1, 2025 2:40 am PST by Tim Hardwick
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models at the same time, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 18 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max.
One thing worth...
Monday December 8, 2025 9:23 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple's chipmaking chief Johny Srouji has reportedly indicated that he plans to continue working for the company for the foreseeable future.
"I love my team, and I love my job at Apple, and I don't plan on leaving anytime soon," said Srouji, in a memo obtained by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
Here is Srouji's full memo, as shared by Bloomberg:I know you've been reading all kind of rumors and...
Monday December 8, 2025 11:10 am PST by Juli Clover
Apple and Google are teaming up to make it easier for users to switch between iPhone and Android smartphones, according to 9to5Google. There is a new Android Canary build available today that simplifies data transfer between two smartphones, and Apple is going to implement the functionality in an upcoming iOS 26 beta.
Apple already has a Move to iOS app for transferring data from an Android...
Wednesday December 10, 2025 12:22 pm PST by Juli Clover
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...
Today I was passing by an cellphone store and went inside to see what's new, the store is almost overrun with Samsung phones, from the 20€ basic to the S4 that costs like 800€. There were a few other brand phones but not much.
The iPhone was stuffed in the corner, and only the iPhone 5 was exposed. I used to ear lots of people talk about the iPhone this and that, but lately I only ear people talk about Samsung phones.
Apple really needs to have an cheaper iPhone at least in Europe. Most folks use prepaid not 2 year contracts. I think if they could hit the 300€ mark it would be great. And btw run more advertising since the only ads that I see are from Samsung.
I'm not bashing Apple, but I think they are fading away on people's minds.
