Aug 12, 2011 11:05 GMT  ·  By

An alleged ‘iPhone 5 unboxing video’ has been posted on the web with its protagonist claiming to have in his possession a retail-ready version of Apple’s next-generation smartphone.

Before going into the specifics, we’re filing this one under "ridiculously fake". But we will report on it for the sake of keeping everyone informed.

To this day, the iPhone 5 is still a mystery. The media goes on and on about a bigger 4-inch screen, yet no one really knows if Apple even plans to launch the device this year.

Granted, it’s almost a given. The company has missed its annual refresh cycle and will most likely use a fall event to showcase a new smartphone, plus a few new iPods, and to launch iCloud and, of course, iOS 5.

However, the video we’ve embedded below for your viewing pleasure should not affect your judgment, nor your buying decisions (not that it could - the protagonist doesn't seem to sure it's real either).

Rest assured Apple’s iPhone 5 will not be a slightly altered iPhone 3GS (or whatever is shown in the footage) with a cheap, plastic back shell and a box that looks almost identical to the one used for the iPhone 4.

However, rumors do indicate that Apple’s next iPhone will have a tapered design, a thinner and wider body, as well as slightly larger screen.

An 8 megapixel camera is likely going to be part of the device as well, and the whole thing will run on the A5 dual core chip that’s currently found in the iPad 2.

It is interesting to see how some people will go to so much trouble for a little attention as the hype builds towards the iPhone 5 launch.

Just yesterday we reported that a guy had the brilliant idea of creating a whole new iPhone 5 section for Apple’s web site.

Too bad his video gave away the fake nature of the ‘leak’ by showing that all the elements he used to create the alleged iPhone 5 web site were right there on his desktop, rather than online. Full story here.