Well, what a start to the week! Following those iPhone 5 prototype battery images we published earlier today, we have more photographs of iPhone components, including the rear-facing camera, an audio flex cable, and another of its battery.
As the launch of Apple’s iPhone 5 looms closer, components for the device have been cropping up all over the place. The latest provides an indication that the device is close to launch, with a prototype batter labeled ‘DVT_B3’.
The release of Apple’s iPad 3 has reportedly been delayed until 2012 due to a shortage of high-resolution Retina displays. A third-generation device with a much improved display was rumored to launch later this year, but as many of us had predicted a long time ago, that’s not going to happen.
Another set of iPhone 5 components have surfaced online, and while these things never really give away a lot of information about Apple’s upcoming device, they do indicate that it could be available in both black and white.
Following last week’s discovery of a white iPod touch digitizer in Asia, it now seems these parts are making their way around the globe — even appearing in the United States. One gentleman on the East Coast has managed to get his hands on a white iPod touch display for his fourth-generation device, but was it made by Apple?
The staggering success of Apple’s iPad has inevitably spawned a myriad of wannabe devices from a large number of electronics manufacturers. While many of these tablets are yet to really compete with Apple’s tablet, the Cupertino company is still preparing itself for a worthy adversary by “adjusting the cost structure” of the iPad 3.
Just as Apple recovers from the overwhelming launch demand of its iPad 2, one analyst says the company is preparing to release a second device before year end, with a high-resolution display dubbed the “iPad 2 Plus.”
A Taiwan-based component maker in Apple’s supply chain is reportedly set to produce 15 million units of the fifth-generation iPhone, according to a new report — readying the device for a September launch. Though it may not boast that major redesign many had been hoping for.
Companies within Apple’s supply chain are currently preparing materials for the production of the iPhone 5, which they believe is likely to launch this September… but it may not be launching alone. Instead, it will be accompanied by the iPad 3.
Components makers in the supply chain for Apple’s MacBook Air are set to “run in full gear” during July as the company prepares for the upcoming launch of the latest model.
Apple has decreased its order of the iPhone 4 in anticipation of the fifth-generation device, strengthening those rumors that claim a new iPhone will launch before the end of this year.
Apple has begun certifying components from several Taiwan-based manufacturers for its upcoming iPad 3, but could the device be launching in 2011?
Apple could be about to add an additional supplier to its iPad 2 chain as the company continues to deal with overwhelming demand of the second-generation device and tackle backlight bleeding problems with early models.
These images purportedly depict the new rear cover for Apple’s fifth-generation iPhone, but how genuine are they?
Components purported to be for the fifth-generation iPhone have sparked new rumors that the device’s camera and LED flash will be separated, and will no longer sit snuggled up to one another in the corner. Strengthening these rumors is a case discovered on trade site Alibaba for an ‘iPhone 5G’, which features a mysterious new hole in its rear.
A handful of components said to come from the guts of the next iPhone have hit the web. Or they might just be a piece of junk taken from some tinker’s pockets. If they’re for real, though, consider at least a couple of the juicier rumors about the hardware of the iPhone 5 debunked.
As with any new Apple product, shortly after its release the white iPhone 4 received a customary teardown to see what’s inside. You’d be forgiven for thinking the internals for the white device are exactly the same as those featured within its black counterpart, but surely Apple changed something while it was delayed for all those months?
Well, the first teardowns for the new device reveal changes to both the proximity sensor and the rear-facing camera lens. One of the rumored issues which caused the white handset’s delay was light leakage into the camera; it seems Apple has rectified this issue with a more recessed camera lens.
As you can see in the comparison photo (top), the camera lens on the white device on the right is embedded much deeper into its surround, when compared to the lens featured on the black device on the left.
As for the proximity sensor, these are also different on each device, however, it’s currently unclear how the two components differ. Its obvious from recent images of the white iPhone 4 that Apple has modified the design of the proximity sensor externally: what was once tiny little holes above the device’s speaker is now a much more pronounced opening.
Despite recent speculation that a third generation iPad will launch later this year, component makers in China have ruled out the possibility of two iPads in twelve months, and claimed that although Apple has released its plans for a higher resolution tablet, the device is still in the “initial planning stage.”
Sources said they do not see the iPad 2 as a transitional product, and pointed out that the launch of an iPad 3 so soon after the release of the second generation device would simply cut off interest in the iPad 2. Component makers confirmed that they are yet to receive any notice for next generation iPad components, and with such a strong demand for the iPad 2, an update won’t appear anytime soon.
Touch panel makers also revealed that Apple may be considering an AMOLED panel for the iPad 3, which would be a “great risk” for the Cupertino company since AMOLED technologies are currently largely controlled by Samsung. It may mean Apple could no longer have priority over the key technologies used in its devices, and meeting demand for the device could prove even more difficult.
[via DigiTimes]
Apple’s latest iPhone 4 launched especially for use on Verizon’s CDMA network has already been given the teardown treatment by our friends over at iFixit, and their findings have revealed that the revised device packs a redesigned vibrator, and changes to the location and design of RF components. However, the most surprising discovery is the Qualcomm MDM6600 chip, which is dual-mode GSM and CDMA compatible.
The use of this particular chip, which also features in the Motorola Droid Pro, signifies that the iPhone 5 will surely be dual-mode, allowing Apple to ship one handset for both Verizon and AT&T, as well as every other carrier in every other country.
The full iFixit teardown of the Verizon iPhone 4 is certainly worth a read, buy you can check out our highlights from the teardown after the break!
