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

by

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.

Tag: DongleBookPro

Popular Stories

Apple Shopping Event 2025

Apple Announces 2025 Black Friday Event, Here's What You Can Get

Thursday November 20, 2025 6:28 am PST by
Apple's annual four-day Black Friday through Cyber Monday shopping event is returning on Friday, November 28 through Monday, December 1 in many countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, Thailand, and others. During the shopping event, customers can get an Apple gift card with...
Read Full Article • 41 comments
iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Adds These New Features to Your iPhone

Thursday November 20, 2025 10:50 am PST by
iOS 26.2 is currently in beta testing. The upcoming update includes a handful of new features and changes on the iPhone, including a new Liquid Glass slider for the Lock Screen's clock, offline lyrics for Apple Music, and more. In a recent press release, Apple confirmed that iOS 26.2 will be released to all users in December, but it did not provide a specific release date. Keep reading...
Read Full Article • 27 comments
hikawa phone grip stand apple%402x

Apple Launches Second Limited-Edition iPhone Accessory in a Month

Friday November 21, 2025 3:53 am PST by
Apple has begun selling the Hikawa Phone Grip and Stand, a new limited-edition iPhone accessory designed with accessibility in mind. Designed by LA-based Bailey Hikawa to celebrate the 40th anniversary of accessibility at Apple, the grip uses magnets to securely snap onto any iPhone with MagSafe. Apple says it can be removed with ease, and doubles as a stand with two different viewing...
Read Full Article • 127 comments
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

10 Reasons to Wait for Next Year's iPhone 18 Pro

Wednesday November 19, 2025 4:00 am PST by
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...
Read Full Article • 104 comments
ipad black friday 2025

The Best Early Black Friday iPad Deals

Thursday November 20, 2025 10:20 am PST by
Black Friday is just over a week away, and iPad deals have finally started to flood in at retailers like Amazon and Best Buy. Below we're tracking discounts on every current generation iPad, including lowest-ever prices on M3 iPad Air and M5 iPad Pro, plus steep markdowns on iPad and iPad mini. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a ...
Read Full Article • 7 comments
ipad mini 7 feature red and blue

iPad Mini 8: Four Major New Features to Expect

Wednesday November 19, 2025 7:50 am PST by
Apple's eighth-generation iPad mini is highly likely to arrive next year, offering a significant refresh of the device with at least four major new features. OLED Display The next-generation version of the iPad mini could feature an OLED display, as part of Apple's plan to expand the display technology across many more of its devices. Apple's first OLED device was the Apple Watch in 2015, ...
Read Full Article • 67 comments
watchos 26 workout app

Apple Watch Users Claim Workout App Is Now Worse in Every Way

Thursday November 20, 2025 7:01 am PST by
Apple Watch owners have been voicing their frustration online over changes to the Workout app that Apple introduced in watchOS 26, with many finding the redesigned interface makes starting exercises difficult and exasperating. When Apple launched watchOS 26 in September, the Workout app went from large, easily tapped workout tiles to a scrolling, corner-button interface. Instead of tapping a ...
Read Full Article • 229 comments
apple wallet drivers license feature iPhone 15 pro

Two More U.S. States Commit to Offering iPhone Driver's Licenses in Apple Wallet App

Thursday November 20, 2025 8:21 am PST by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Apple Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, and then use it to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. Earlier this week, Illinois became the 13th state in the U.S. to offer the feature. Subsequently, we shared a list of additional states that are committed...
Read Full Article • 38 comments
android iphone airdrop quickshare

iPhone Users Can Now AirDrop Files to Android Devices

Thursday November 20, 2025 9:47 am PST by
Google today announced a new cross-platform feature that allows for file sharing between iPhone and Android users. With AirDrop on the iPhone and QuickShare on Pixel 10 devices, there is a new file transfer function available. The file sharing option works on Apple devices that include iPhone, iPad, and Mac, along with the Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro, Pixel 10 Pro XL, and Pixel 10 Fold....
Read Full Article • 124 comments

Top Rated Comments

Danindub Avatar
Danindub
63 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
dannyyankou
63 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
thadoggfather
63 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
dannyyankou
63 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
JPack
63 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
Serban55
63 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)
Read All Comments