14 DAY TRIAL // A prototype iPhone part labeled "EVT" (Engineering Verification Test) and dated June 7, 2011, has emerged in photos lending credence to rumors that Apple’s next iPhone is not all that different from the current-generation hardware.
Of course, if you ask us, it would be quite stupid for Apple to launch a purportedly new device with the exact same design and form factor as the current hardware, but we’ll keep the rumor mill going for the sake of our enthusiastic readers who don’t want to miss out on any potential leaks.
So, the picture you see above (courtesy of macpost) is labeled with an actual Apple-internal model number - N94. This designation is said to be for a next-generation iPhone, and that it's entirely possible this is the actual iPhone 5.
N94 first appeared in Apple’s Software Development Kit (SDK) around the time Apple had released iOS 4.3.
The hardware number was identified in code strings, and it was determined at the time that such hardware would support an A5 processor - the brains of the iPad 2 and the future brains of whatever iPhone Apple plans to launch.
The hardware designation was also spotted by a technology blog in April. BGR, the source in question, has a solid track record of Apple-related predictions, though it hasn’t always been accurate.
There are several other hardware elements portrayed in this photo that would deserve to be commented on, but they’re really nothing we haven’t seen so far.
Softpedia note
What I find more interesting (as I noted above) is that rumors of the iPhone 5 looking exactly like the iPhone 4 are still circulating.
If you ask this editor, Apple would yield more applause with a Yo-Yo announcement this fall.
Imagine Tim Cook delivering a keynote that mocks the entire Apple fan base by featuring what would basically be regarded as last year's efforts.
With Steve Jobs resigned as CEO, wouldn’t such a move be the perfect opportunity for all of Apple’s competitors to suddenly look good? Does Apple really want that?
What we’re looking at here (the above picture, of course) is nothing more than an iPhone 4 prototype unit or maybe, just maybe, the slightly-more-probable iPhone 4S we keep hearing about.
Of course, this is just one opinion.
You can share yours in the comments and, by all means, do disagree.