Reports: No 4-inch screen for iPhone 5

Apple fans hoping for a palm-filling 4-inch+ screen from the forthcoming fifth generation iPhone may be disappointed, if leaked components and new reports prove accurate.

Conflicting reports on Monday say that the next Retina Display will remain at 3.5-inches, or perhaps enjoy a slight bump to 3.7-inches.

A leaked prototype LCD display component uncovered by the MacPost website fits exactly the same form factor as the iPhone 4.

That discovery could be interpreted in two ways. The first is that the iPhone 5 design will remain unchanged.

Secondly, it could add credence to rumours that Apple will launch a second tier 'iPhone 4S' that sticks to the iPhone 4 design.

Or will we see a 3.7-inch display?

While speculation continues, a source at Taiwanese website DigiTimes reckons Apple could be planning to push the display up to 3.7-inches.

DigiTimes also predicts that the iPhone 5's back cover will be switched to metal, replacing the reinforced glass on the iPhone 5.

Despite all this conjecture, we're still no closer to knowing when Apple will actually launch its next generation smartphone.

Link: DigiTimes, MacPost

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iPhone 5 production started, 4-inch screen and metal chassis

Reports have come out of Japan that indicate that the iPhone 5 has just started initial production and is slated for release in Q3 of this year. We all knew when the new iPhone 5 would be released, it’s usually about the same time each year but we didn’t know specific details about the phone. The new phone will come with a 4-inch capacitive touch screen as well as a metal chassis to help with antenna sensitivity. It looks like Apple is trying to correct the antenna issue that was uncovered as the iPhone 4 was released last year. The phone will also contain Apples A5 dual-core chip the same as which is inside the new iPad 2.

The new iPhone 5 is also said to be equipped with an “induction pay” or “wave and pay” technology that will allow consumers to use their phones to make purchases at establishments. This technology is made possible by the NFC or “Near Field Communication” chip installed in the phone. The technology is very similar to the current “pay pass” technology that we have on many credit cards today. With this addition to the iPhone 5, you will always be carrying around a sort of “e-wallet” that should speed up payments at enabled establishments. This new news also confirms many rumors that we wrote about earlier.