14 DAY TRIAL // Case molds inspired by the upcoming iPhone 6 are making the rounds in China, giving us an idea of what to expect later this year from Apple. The photos leaked on the Chinese Apple forum Feng.com are in no way confirmed as legitimate, but there’s a good chance the iPhone 6 will look a lot like the mockups depicted in these images.
The photos in question only started circulating minutes ago. The “age” of the mockups themselves cannot be determined, though it is being reported that they stem from a case maker with access to the iPhone 6 blueprints.
It isn’t clear if this is the same accessory maker that created the pink silicone case used by UnboxTherapy to determine the thickness of the handset, but it is reasonable to assume that if the two are put together, they’ll match each other perfectly.
Several design aspects immediately jump at you, including the redesigned volume buttons, the absence of a Sleep/Wake button at the top of the phone (reportedly relocated to one of the sides), and the protuberant camera.
Apple chose to flush out the camera because the imaging module cannot get any thinner and still produce great photos. Photography has been a tentpole feature of the company’s smartphone for years, and it continues to heavily rely on it to market and sell the expensive handsets.
Unfortunately, the exact dimensions of the plastic mockups are unknown. The last leaks pointed to a 4.7-inch display size (measured on the diagonal). The handset itself is reportedly 5.4 inches tall (138mm) and around 2.5 inches wide (64mm). The thinness/thickness of the handset is said to be comparable to that of the fifth-generation iPod touch: 0.24 inches (6.1 mm) thick.
No other details are available at this time, and analysts continue to speculate different potential launch dates, including WWDC 14 in June and a special iPhone-centric event in the September period. Most bets are on the latter scenario.
While the increase in screen size is highly anticipated, Apple is said to be developing a separate version of the handset with an even bigger screen, potentially planning to make its entry in the phablet market.
The 5.5-inch “iPhone Air,” as some have dubbed it, will reportedly arrive at a later date. Various sources have claimed that Apple has incurred manufacturing difficulties with this particular version of the device, causing a delay in production and subsequently a delay in the planned release date.