Apple still deciding on the design, dock connector implementation

May 12, 2012 12:54 GMT  ·  By

Sources close to Apple are signaling to iMore that the iPhone 5 is not even close to being finished, as the Cupertino, California-based tech giant is still deciding on the design.

This is the second time the blog reports on the topic with a credible take on the information handed to them.

According to the sources in question, “Apple still hasn’t finalized the design of the next generation iPhone 5 [...] No giant screen. No 16:9 aspect ratio. No metal back.”

However, the phone is expected to boast a metal chassis, just like all the iPhones before it, and most bets are on a Liquidmetal alloy.

The source reportedly added that “currently, the new, smaller dock connector is being implemented, but no changes to screen size or aspect ratio have been decided on.”

The handset is said to still feature a Home button, contrary to rumors saying Apple is looking to ditch the hardware component in favor of a software-based, virtual button, to increase screen real estate.

Should the screen size increase, it won’t be any larger than four inches, according to the report, though four inches is already a pretty big boost for existing iPhone fans who’ve always had to settle for 3.5 inches.

The aspect ratio is said to remain in place as well, which makes sense if Apple wants all the titles on the App Store to work on this device.

Apple’s latest iPhone models feature a Retina display with 326 ppi (pixels per inch) which doesn’t allow distinction between individual pixels when viewed from 12 inches away. A bigger screen retaining these characteristics would offer a substantially improved visual experience.

The source corroborated for iMore that Apple is, indeed, switching away from Google maps in favor of its own mapping service, and that “October is still the planned launch period, alongside the 7-inch iPad”.