More photos of purported iPhone 5 cases are surfacing today, begging the question of whether or not Chinese staffers at Apple’s components facilities are leaking tech specs. But while some of these cases may be mere fabrications, others might actually be rolling the dice.
It would seem that, for the remainder of time that exists between now and the day that Steve Jobs walks out onto a stage with a shiny new iPhone 5 in his hand, the prevailing iPhone 5 rumor flavor will be “leaked iPhone cases” that hint at the new form factor and features of the iPhone 5. We’ve been reporting on a flurry of these silicone sightings to the point where there’s more silicone floating around the iPhone 5 rumor mill than there is strutting around Miami Beach in string bikinis.
The newest one today comes from 9to5Mac, a typically reliable tech news source. Perhaps looking to get into the iPhone 5 case sighting game, they’ve produced images of a newly-discovered iPhone case that purports to show a thinner iPhone 5 sporting a larger display. Ironically, the description of the case — as well as the iPhone 5 that would purportedly occupy it — perfectly fits the description of the iPhone 5 that the tech community has crafted out of thin air over the past six months or so.
But for all the bluster and excitement that comes with the appearance of these deductively revealing iPhone cases, the sad fact is that vast majority of iPhone case designers never gain access to iPhones prior to their release. Even after the announcement of the iPhone itself, case developers do not have access to a physical specimin — they often retro-engineer previous iPhone case designs based on the specs that Apple gives prior to the actual release of the new iPhone.
This is precisely why it is not uncommon for first-generation iPhone, iPod, and iPad cases to be ill-fitting. A good example of this was the issue of discoloration of photos taken by the iPhone 4, which many determined was the result of poorly-designed silicone iPhone 4 cases, which were blocking the flash. Because it is so critical for top case designers to be first to market with new cases, they have to work with in-house iPhone mock-ups, based on the specs given by Apple in the interim between the announcement and the launch.
It very well may be that what we are seeing here are nothing more that “sketches” by case designers — mere mock-ups of what could be for the iPhone 5.
I know this because I have worked with top iPhone case designers in the past, and I know what they know and what they don’t know. What they don’t know is what the next iPhone is going to look like, since Apple has no vested interest in helping out the consumer electronics accessories market — especially considering that they compete in that market as well. Engadget said it best in an older article that deals with this very issue, when they state that: “Apple doesn’t really provide pre-release units to accessories partners — even the big ones — to help them get their products out the door faster when new gear drops.”
That quote comes from a piece they wrote years ago about an iPod case released by UNIEA ahead of the new iPod, at that time rumored to be the “iPod Fatty.” UNIEA actually promoted new cases for it ahead of the new iPod’s release.
How do you think it turned out?
It turned out exactly like what I’m saying: case designers can only make their best guess on the specs of the next iPhone.
To be fair, there are examples of device specs getting out into the open. The most well-known incident was when Gizmodo’s Jason chen nabbed the iPhone 4 from someone who stole it off of a bar where a drunken Apple engineer haphazardly left it. A more recent story featured Foxconn staffers being jailed in China for leaking specs of the iPad 2. The latter most definitely made an impact on those who may be considering leaking specs of the iPhone 5 to case designers.
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