Harder, better, faster, longer -- that seems to be Apple's mantra for its new iPhone, which has had its supposed casing snapped alongside the current iPhone 4S.
Japanese blog Macotakara made the comparison, which points to a device that's a good deal longer than the existing model, and sporting a display that's about 4 inches on the diagonal.
Snaps of what could be the casing for Apple's upcoming toy appeared several days ago, sporting a striped metallic look. Those images were followed swiftly by blueprints that matched that elongated design. These new snaps suggest Apple's next effort will be a healthy chunk taller, but not significantly wider than the iPhone 4S.
There's a video comparison too, which I've embedded below.
There's no way of telling whether this casing is the genuine article -- it could be a fake, or a prototype design that's somehow found its way into the wild. The panel does chime with earlier reports from the Wall Street Journal that the next iPhone would have at least a 4-inch display.
It also matches rumours that Apple's sixth smart phone (likely to be called the 'new iPhone' following recent iPad naming convention) will have a 16:9 aspect ratio when you spin it on its side, granting owners a widescreen view of funny animal videos.
A thinner, lighter phone wouldn't go amiss, as compared to new mobiles such as the Samsung Galaxy S3, the iPhone 4S is starting to feel rather hefty.
Indeed, with Samsung's new toy now lining the pockets of Android fans, the ball is in Apple's court to blow us away with its next smart phone. Would this baton-style design be enough to keep iOS devotees happy? I'm not sure myself. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below, or on our Facebook wall.
Android App 
RSS Feeds 
iPhone App 
Newsletters 
24 month contract
24 month contract
24 month contract
Comments 6
Add your comment
samuelc 1 June, 2012 13:43
Hahaha! It makes me laugh when I think of all the Apple fanboys who've been going on about how ugly the Galaxy S3 is - this phone looks like it's fallen out of the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down! Can' wait to see the look on fanboy's faces when this monstrosity hits the stores!
anonymous 1 June, 2012 13:44
Nice. More room for Facebook ads. My stock is on the up and up...
anonymous 2 June, 2012 04:16
Thinking of all those apple fanatics, who (for no justifiable reason) ragged on and on about HTC and Samsung phones being too large and hideous, making me laugh... indeed the iphone is a wonderful device but it isn't perfect (the reason they bother releasing new models) and phones like the Samsung Galaxy series outshine it in alot of areas.... Just wish these people would accept this once in a while... I haven't used an iPhone but the voice recognition on the Samsung Galaxy is brilliant while apple (if I'm not mistaken) gets sued over the same thing... and the ability to customize on Android is a priceless feature i wouldn't trade for anything
anonymous 2 June, 2012 23:55
I've had every version of the iPhone since it's launch. I remember frantically running to the o2 store to get the first one and spending fortunes buying out of contracts every time a new one hit the store.
However, I am now at a point where with Apple I find myself wanting after every new release. It [iOS] no longer features anything new or inspiring. It's all much of a muchness with apple, which in turn results in disappointment :-( Just wish they would stop screwing customers over by charging for everything and allow us a little more freedom to customise our iPhones.
Although I can't fault the camera or ease and reliability of use of the iPhone 4S, just fed up with it. [sorry apple] That said, I am a little reticent to make the switch to android, as my Motorola Xoom Tablet was constantly crippled by buggy apps and OS. I've had a play on the Samsung Galaxy Note and a working Galaxy S3 and I'm afraid Apple have lost a customer. S3 for me please :-) I juts hope the ICS OS lives up to the hype that the android community has built up.
anonymous 4 June, 2012 15:05
I believe that all those mockups and blurry pics are NOT the direction the iPhone will take, form factor wise. No way. They will come up with something new this time. It is obvious. Not just extending the screen 10 mm.
anonymous 5 June, 2012 13:37
If this really what the new iPhone will be, the Apple will loose at least one user and that's me. Who in the world will design such a long phone? It is downright ugly. If this happens, it goes to shows without jobs, it makes a world of difference.