Images of Unreleased iPhone 5s in Black and Slate Shared Online

Twitter user @DongleBookPro has today shared images of a prototype iPhone 5s in an unreleased Black and Slate color.

iphone 5s black slate

The ‌iPhone‌ 5s was launched in September 2013. The device featured Touch ID, a 64-bit processor, and a True Tone LED flash for the first time. Other new features included a five-element lens with an f/2.2 aperture, a 15 percent larger camera sensor, Burst Mode, and Slo-Mo 720p video capture at 120 frames per second.

The ‌iPhone‌ 5s offered Gold and Space Gray color options for the first time, and was also available in Silver. The previous-generation ‌iPhone‌ 5 was available in White and Silver, and Black and Slate. This prototype ‌iPhone‌ 5s is extremely unusual as it uses the ‌iPhone‌ 5's Black and Slate color option.

While it is possible that Apple was considering offering the ‌iPhone‌ 5s in Black and Slate, before opting for Space Gray instead, DongleBookPro suggests that the color was likely used to help conceal the next-generation device during development.

iphone 5s black slate front

In addition, it is also notable that the prototype ‌iPhone‌ 5s was manufactured in December 2012, a mere three months after the launch of the iPhone 5 and nine months before it would be announced. This offers some indication of how far ahead the ‌iPhone‌'s development cycle runs.

The ‌iPhone‌ 5's Black and Slate color option was ultimately dropped in favor of Space Gray on the ‌iPhone‌ 5s, which has generally been a mainstay of ‌iPhone‌ color options since. The only models since then to not be available in a Space Gray option were the ‌iPhone‌ 7, ‌iPhone‌ 11, ‌iPhone‌ 12, and ‌iPhone‌ 12 Pro.

Black and Slate was among the more short-lived Apple device colors, with the option only being available for the ‌iPhone‌ 5, first-generation iPad mini, and fifth-generation iPod Touch. The finish also spurned "scuffgate," where some ‌iPhone‌ 5 users complained about the tendency of the Black and Slate finish to be easily chipped, scratched, and scuffed, which may have contributed to it being discontinued.

DongleBookPro regularly posts images of unreleased Apple devices and prototypes, such as a first-generation iPod touch prototype with a 2013 Mac Pro-style glossy black finish and a first-generation Mac mini with an iPod nano dock.

Top Rated Comments

Danindub Avatar
35 months ago

I’ve been telling folks for years... A lot of iPhone models or maybe all of them, are manufactured about a year before they are revealed. (Which makes sense)

I remember going to the Genius Bar for my 6S and was shown by the Genius that the manufacture date was from October 2014.
Yeah, no.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dannyyankou Avatar
35 months ago
I’m glad they went with space grey instead. That color looked so cool



Attachment Image
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
thadoggfather Avatar
35 months ago
For the love of god, Apple make space grey slate again. Even if it has wear+tear consequences

And make space grey laptops the saturated black that the 13" polycarbonate MacBooks were, again.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dannyyankou Avatar
35 months ago

I’ve been telling folks for years... A lot of iPhone models or maybe all of them, are manufactured about a year before they are revealed. (Which makes sense)

I remember going to the Genius Bar for my 6S and was shown by the Genius that the manufacture date was from October 2014.
This is not true. A lot of prototypes are manufactured a year before they’re revealed, but iPhones for sale are manufactured around 2 months before they’re released at the earliest. This year that wasn’t the case, because of the pandemic they were shipping them out as soon as they were built.

I preordered my iPhone 12 Pro Max, and looking up the serial number shows it was manufactured in the first week of November.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JPack Avatar
35 months ago

I’ve been telling folks for years... A lot of iPhone models or maybe all of them, are manufactured about a year before they are revealed. (Which makes sense)

I remember going to the Genius Bar for my 6S and was shown by the Genius that the manufacture date was from October 2014.
That unfortunately doesn't make much sense. For one, TSMC wouldn't even have the chips available for Apple until early to middle of the launch year.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Serban55 Avatar
35 months ago
So the same as the iphone 5....who cares?? after so long...whats the point of this ?!
Every manufacture made a lot of prototypes ...at least if it was something different
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iphone se 4 modified flag edges

iPhone SE 4 Details: Action Button, USB-C Port, Face ID, and More

Wednesday September 27, 2023 1:34 pm PDT by
Significant changes are expected to arrive with Apple's fourth-generation iPhone SE, in terms of both design and hardware, MacRumors has learned. The iPhone SE 4, known internally under the codename Ghost, is expected to receive a new design derived almost entirely from the base model iPhone 14. According to our sources, the iPhone SE 4 will use a modified version of the iPhone 14 chassis...
Multi Display CarPlay 1

All-New Apple CarPlay Launching Later This Year With These 5 New Features

Friday September 29, 2023 11:29 am PDT by
At WWDC 2022 last year, Apple previewed the next generation of CarPlay, promising deeper integration with vehicle functions like A/C and FM radio, support for multiple displays across the dashboard, personalization options, and more. Apple said the first vehicles with support for the next-generation CarPlay experience would be announced in late 2023, but it has still not shared any additional...
iOS 17

Everything New in iOS 17.1 Beta 1

Wednesday September 27, 2023 1:57 pm PDT by
Just a week after releasing iOS 17, Apple has seeded the first beta of iOS 17.1 to developers. iOS 17.1 adds some features that Apple promised were coming to iOS 17 in the future, plus it refines and improves some existing features. This guide covers everything new in the first iOS 17.1 beta. Apple Music Favorites You can favorite songs, albums, playlists, and artists in the iOS 17.1...
iPhone 15 Pro lineup

iPhone 15 Pro Overheating Concerns Highlighted in Two More Reports

Thursday September 28, 2023 6:25 am PDT by
iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max overheating concerns continue to make headlines this week, with the topic highlighted by The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg. Both of the reports document anecdotal complaints from customers, and outline potential causes, but it's unclear how many devices are actually affected. Bloomberg said the overheating could be caused or compounded by the iPhone's setup...
iPhone 15 Pro lineup

Apple to Address iPhone 15 Pro Overheating Issue With iOS 17 Update

Saturday September 30, 2023 9:28 am PDT by
Apple plans to release an iOS 17 update to address a bug that may contribute to the reported iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max overheating issue, according to a statement the company shared today with MacRumors and Forbes reporter David Phelan. Apple also says some recent updates to third-party apps have overloaded the system and contributed to the overheating issue. The report notes that...
iPhone 15 USB C Port Keynote

Some USB-C Power Banks Fail to Work With iPhone 15

Thursday September 28, 2023 2:06 pm PDT by
Apple added a USB-C port to the iPhone 15 lineup this year, allowing it to work with USB-C cables, USB-C power banks, and more. It turns out that some USB-C battery packs are not working properly with Apple's iPhone 15, resulting in charging issues. As highlighted on Reddit and the MacRumors forums, not all existing USB-C power banks can be used with the iPhone 15 models, perhaps due to the...
iOS 17

Apple Releases iOS 17.0.2 and iPadOS 17.0.2 for All iPhones and iPads

Tuesday September 26, 2023 12:47 pm PDT by
Apple today released iOS 17.0.2 and iPadOS 17.0.2 updates, with the software coming five days after the releases of iOS 17.0.1 and iPadOS 17.0.1. Today's iOS 17.0.2 and iPadOS 17.0.2 updates arrive as build 21A351 and can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. Note that iOS 17.0.2 was previously made available for iPhone...