14 DAY TRIAL // Images posted to a Photobucket account that has previously yielded accurate leaks show a fully-loaded iPhone 5 touch assembly, complete with Retina display, metal shielding, flex cables, Home button, front camera, and earpiece.
With only two weeks to go before Apple’s ceremonious unveiling of the next-generation iPhone, the touch-panel assembly that makes up the entire front side of the device has been leaked in pictures via Photobucket, an online image sharing service.
Highlighted by the people at Apple.pro, who make a habit out of posting relevant rumors and leaks whenever a new Apple event approaches, the images in question were obtained by meme_168, also a source of accurate leaks in the past.
MacRumors points out that this particular account previously yielded photos of measurements showing that the third-generation iPad would be thicker than the iPad 2 (which turned out to be true), as well as the very first photo of the white version of the next-generation iPhone front panel.
With that out of the way, the photos show a fully assembled iPhone 5 touch panel complete with the previously-reported metal shield and several other components.
The metal shield is reportedly used to separate the LCD display from the phone’s electronics with the main purpose of avoiding interference.
Other parts shown in these photos include all the flex cables that connect the assembly to the rest of the phone, as well as the front-facing camera and the Home button, which appears to be installed behind a metal plate as well.
Nothing looks out of the ordinary here, not even the elongated Retina display (said to boast 1136 x 640 pixels) which is all but confirmed at this point.
According to multiple reliable sources, Apple’s next-generation iPhone will be announced on September 12. The phone will reportedly be available physically on September 21 in the United States and a few other countries around the globe.
