iPhone 5 photos leaked before release date? New iPhone i-Lab factory photos leave many unimpressed

Trade-in companies say prices will decline quickly once (AAPL) Apple makes the iPhone 5 official.
Photographer: macotakara/YouTube

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Posted: 08/01/2012

By: John Matarese

We're hearing more and more about the upcoming iPhone 5 -- or "new iPhone," if Apple drops numbers this time, as it did with its iPad.

The Wall Street Journal expects the new phone to be unveiled Sept. 12 during an upcoming Apple "event."

But a sneak peek of what it may look like has some reviewers unimpressed.

Leaked photos from the i-Lab factory -- an Apple parts supplier and repair company-- are supposedly the real thing.

They show a next generation iPhone with a slightly larger screen (it appears to be taller) and a smaller connector plug. That plug is itself the subject of much criticism, because current chargers and docks would no longer work.

Other changes in the photos include the headphone connector moved to the bottom, and larger speaker.

You can see the photos in detail at ZDNet.com.

Watch a video below that allegedly shows the housings and parts of the next iPhone:

Some reviewers unimpressed

But it's not a major change, and some reviewers are saying the iPhone is starting to look dated.

   - Forbes Magazine says Apple appears to be "phoning it in" if these photos are to be believed.

   - Fox News says it looks "small and chubby" compared to newer phones.

   -And CNET says "gadgeteers will be disappointed" if this is the final phone.

The problem, many say, is Samsung's new Galaxy 3, which is sleeker and thinner, with a much bigger screen. The Galaxy raises the bar the way the iPhone used to, three or four years ago.

Of course, none of this matters. The iPhone will still sell by the millions to fans who don't want to leave iTunes and the iCloud for the Android universe.

Whichever phone you buy, don't waste your money.

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