iphone 5 with nfc chip

Another round of purported iPhone 5 photos have emerged, depicting the small component initially identified as NFC-related, but panned by others as false, due to the iPhone 5's metal back. More fakes, or more glimpses?
You want more salacious iPhone 5 photos? We’ve got ‘em! You’ll recall that just a few days ago we passed along some photos of purported iPhone 5 parts that were dubbed the “most comprehensive assembly” of the iPhone 5 that we’ve seen thus far. What was particularly interesting about these photos was the advent of a small chip to the right of the earpiece, which was assumed to be the long-rumored NFC chip. The next day, Jim Dalrymple and co. panned the photos as false, since the metal back of the iPhone 5 — which Dalrymple tacitly confirmed — couldn’t work with NFC. And the fact that the photos didn’t have any shot of the back seemed conspicuous at best.
Today, we have a new set up photos depicting the same little chip, and once again, no view of the back to see if it compared with the metal back of the early 9to5mac photos. Do these new photos answer any questions, or just raise more of them?
The photo at the top of the article comes from Nowhereelse.fr, and compares the top assembly of the purported iPhone 5 to that of the 4S. Notwithstanding the fact that this top assembly looks like the one we saw the other day, to me — a guy who admittedly doesn’t understand the guts of iPhone — it looks as if the added components around the supposed NFC chip, like the camera lens, is being blocked by that plate. Come to think of it, so too are the earpiece components. Why can’t we see what’s behind that?
And finally, why are the iPhone 5 and 4S photos so incongruous? With the iPhone 5, I see a lot of screws and components, making the 4S seem stripped down. To me, that’s fishy. Couldn’t the photographer dress up the 4S with comparable components of its own so that the assemblies are equally complete. Or is this an equal comparison? If so, Apple is doing things quite differently on the new phone, as it looks to be held together with a bunch of little screws.
Take a look at this side-by-side to see what I mean:
iphone 4s and 5 side by side
And as I mentioned in my last article about the whole NFC chip/metal back issue, it’s odd that we never see the back of the iPhone in these photos, either. Why not? The back of the iPhone 5 that 9to5mac showed us caused quite a discussion, what with its slightly color-mismatched metal section that connected with the top and bottom pieces. People debated whether they liked or disliked that look, but everyone agreed that it was metal we were looking at.
If we are to believe that these new photos are of the same iPhone 5 units, then show us the backside.

Somewhere out there, someone wants us to believe that this is the iPhone 5. In fact, there’s a whole lot of people in the tech media who want us to believe that the iPhone 5 has practically been in plain sight for months with all of these sightings. But with each passing set, there always appears to be something not quite right.

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iOS 6, iPhone 5 To Feature Most Wireless Mobile Computing Experience Yet

In a bid to eventually make the iPhone 5 and other iOS devices completely wire-free, iOS 6 is set to usher in even more wireless and wifi-free functionality.
Although it doesn’t always get talked about in one article, a lot has been rumored about the iPhone 5 with respect to its move towards wireless connectivity. Building on the adoption of OTA updates, we’ve also heard about possible wireless charging, an upgrade of the dock connector (which could have wireless consequences for the transfer of data), 4G LTE FaceTime, and more. If you were to put all of these concepts together, you could imagine an iPhone 5 with absolutely no ports. Heck, if Apple did away with the physical home button and made all of the navigation on-screen, one could even imagine a completely smooth, seamless design (as some have speculated on for a future iPhone release as well).
Today, we’re hearing a bit more concrete evidence that, much like the rumor that FaceTime will no longer be limited to wi-fi on the iPhone 5 (a massive advancement, as far as I’m concerned), AirPlay might get a similar makeover.
According to the Telegraph:
Sources familiar with the iPhone-maker’s plans said that Apple wants to improve the AirPlay wireless music streaming technology, which currently requires Airplay speakers and a WiFi network. The new version will require just speakers or a hifi and an iDevice; the iPhone, iPod or iPad would form its own network to allow a direct connection and music playback.
Ironically, this is the second bit of news that would appear to wow mobile users and make consumer electronics accessories producers weep, as the all-but-assured dock connector revamp was enough to send the accessories market spinning. Now, the appearance of “AirPlay Direct” as it is being dubbed, will turn the hifi market on its head as well. Of course, it remains to be seen how far along “AirPlay Direct” really is.
The article adds that: “Sources said that Apple has not signed off any specific products yet and that the ‘Airplay Direct’ is a working title rather than a definite name.” That’s a cryptic comment, and it sounds as if the functionality isn’t quite ready to get out the door yet — especially considering we’re all expecting the iPhone 5 to debut in September.
Still, there is no doubt that wireless connectivity is on Apple’s mind — it’s just a question of how much of this newfangled wireless stuff we’ll see in 2012. With all of the recent, conflicting rumors about NFC, and the already-confirmed passbook, there’s the possibility that the iPhone 5 will usher in some real lifestyle-changing wireless stuff. At the same time, all of these wireless innovation seem to have big, possibly negative unintended consequences. In the case of NFC, it’s the need to get a wide swath of the retail sector to onboard onto new NFC technologies. With changes like the dock connector and AirPlay Direct, whole sectors are affected. While it’s easy to think that Apple doesn’t ultimately care, these sectors certainly lobby Cupertino, andy their feedback helps steer Apple’s R&D department.
Is the world ready for the fully wireless, totally paper-or-plasticless mobile lifestyle, with the iPhone 5 at the center of it all?

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iPhone 5 In September, iPad Mini In October

iphone 5 and ipad miniA new report appears to reconcile the release schedule for the long-rumored iPhone 5 and iPad Mini, with the former arriving in September and the latter in October.
Over the past few weeks of mass production rumors concerning the iPhone 5, it has been difficult to reconcile the rumors that the iPad Mini would be co-released along with the iPhone 5 in September. In addition to the fact that Apple rarely presents two new, differing hardware products on the same announcement stage, we’ve heard much less about iPad Mini parts than we have iPhone 5 parts. But a new report from AllThingsD appears to offer a more plausible release schedule for both the iPhone 5 and iPad Mini.
The report states:
Apple’s next generation iPhone and its so-called “iPad mini” will debut at two separate events this fall, rather than a single one as has been widely speculated, according to several sources.
First comes the latest iteration of the tech giant’s hugely popular smartphone, which will be unveiled at an as yet unannounced event on September 12.
Only after the next-generation iPhone is out the door and on sale will Apple announce the smaller iPad it’s been working on. That device, which is expected to have a display of less than eight inches, will be uncrated at a second special event, which sources said is currently scheduled for October.
While we have little to go on concerning the credibility of AllThingsD’s sources, the release blueprint makes a lot more sense in that it breaks up this co-release rumor. (Can we finally put to rest the notion that Apple will ever co-release products in this way? C’mon!) The crux of this new report is that Apple will position the lesser-priced iPad Mini as an ideal Christmas item — particularly amidst a slumping world economy that could be further shocked in the fall by deteriorating market conditions in both the U.S. and Europe.
An important factor to consider with respect to the release of the iPad Mini and iPhone 5 is the eventual release of iOS 6 alpha. Australian Macworld points out that “If history is any guide, iOS 6 will be available at the same time that Apple refreshes the iPhone, likely in September or October.” Clearly, iOS 6 is the pivot point for when the iPhone 5 will be released, since Apple traditionally links the new iOS with the iPhone. This is bound to be continued this year, since iOS 6 is projected to feature improvements to Siri, the introduction of Passbook, and perhaps even iWallet — all software products that will feature and utilize iPhone hardware.
Conversely, Apple has demonstrated in the past that they are more apt to let iPad iterations use current iOS versions and have not tethered the release of new iPad models on new iOSs. With this thinking in mind, one can indeed imagine that iOS 6 will launch at the end of September, along with the iPhone 5, and the iPad Mini will follow in October.
For as much as these release date rumors are beginning to congeal, there are still some outstanding possibilities. One is that we’ve still yet to see any official Apple event scheduled for September 12th. But considering that there are a couple of weeks until that date, it’s possible that Apple is trying to withhold any official announcement until the last minute in order to further fuel speculation. Another consideration is that the September 12th announcement, should it occur, could be a new iPod event, and that the purported sightings of the iPhone 5 are actually sightings of an iPod. But the backs of the iPhone 5 units we’ve seen have all had the “iPhone” moniker on them, so if these are actually iPods, it would mean that there was a concerted, deliberate effort to pose them as iPhone 5 fakes.
And the final wrinkle in this puzzle is iOS 6. Apple has told us only that it will be released “this fall.” Fall begins on September 22nd in the northern hemisphere this year. Is that date and the reported release date of the iPhone 5 on September 21st seem conspicuous to you?

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“Most Comprehensive Assembly” iPhone 5 Leaks With Purported NFC Chip

The first purported sightings of NFC hardware have shown up on what it being touted as

the most complete leak of the iPhone 5 yet. Could iWallet really see full implementation

in 2012 after all?
The summer of 2012 has featured part after part of the purported iPhone 5 coming out

in drips and drabs. One of the most conspicuous absences in these photos, however,

has been the inclusion of chips, which would ostensibly give us a much better view of

what to expect from this year’s iPhone. A newly leaked photo, however, seems to be

showing off a small chip that could very well be NFC, all amidst a new parts dump that

is being called the most complete leak we’ve seen yet.
According to SlashGear:
The photos of the apparently assembled front panel of the new smartphone,

discovered on a Photobucket account, include a hitherto-unseen square component

covered with EMI shielding, that’s tipped to be a near-field communications chip. . .

Macotakara identified the potential component, with AppleInsider suggesting the

dimensions fit with super-compact chips such as the 5 x 5 mm models offered by NXP.

That company already supplies Samsung for the Galaxy Nexus’ NFC implementation

and is believed to also power Sony’s NFC-enabled phones.”
What I find most compelling about the chip is its placement. If you recall from previous

articles where we posted photos of Apple’s NFC patents, the NFC hardware technology

was always represented as being positioned somewhere near the top of the device.

The difference with this current leak and schematics on the patents is only that the

current NFC chip appears to be right of the earpiece — in the original drawings, they

represented it on the left. But one could imagine that this shift could be superfluous.

Still not present in any of these leaked photos is a glimpse of the processor. A

discussion of the main chip for the iPhone 5 has largely disappeared from the

conversation, after a lot of conjecture about it after the release of the iPad 3 and its A5X

chip. The New iPad features a dual-core CPU and quad-core GPU in order to process

its retina display. It still remains to be seen if Apple will deploy quad-core technology in

the iPhone 5 or not.

It’s strange — just how many things are strange this iPhone season — how Apple

would allow the NFC component of the iPhone 5 to leak, but not the processor. For

those who are anticipating the iPhone 5, it can be said that NFC would make more of a

splash feature-wise than, say, a retina display, since users have already had a chance

to see the retina display in action on the New iPad and MacBook Pros.

Either te iPhone 5 fakes are getting more elaborate, or Apple has doubled down on

losing control of its own product development security.
It’s also not hard to imagine that the claim that the iPhone 5 will feature a headphone

jack on the bottom of the device could have something to do with the inclusion of the

NFC hardware at the top of the device. The logic here might be that when users point

their device at an NFC receiver, they’ll do it with the top of the phone, not the bottom.

And if the NFC hardware in the top of the device is bulky enough, it could have been the

motivating design factor in moving the headphone jack to the bottom.

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September 12th iPhone 5 & iPad Mini Announcement: Fact Or Fiction?

It’s amazing to me how the form factor and features of the iPhone 5, the advent of the iPad Mini, and the September 12th announcement date that will herald them all into existence, are all not a foregone conclusion for the tech media — and have been for some time. Perhaps it is simply that the media and tech users have reached some kind of psychic breaking point in their wait for the elusive iPhone 5, and that the tacit acceptance of these rumors as facts is some kind of variant on Stockholm Syndrome: we’ve been held hostage by Apple for so long that now we’re prepared to believe anything.
Each passing week has revealed a new part or sighting of the elongated iPhone 5 specs which, combined with a crescendo of mass production reports coming out of Asia, has constructed some sort of consensus that what we’re seeing is what we’re going to get. It’s certainly possible — we had glimpses of the iPad 3 that turned out to be largely accurate. At the same time, the source and presentation of the parts have been just sketchy enough to leave a lingering measure of doubt. Could it be that the scammers are just getting better and better at scamming us?
Even more puzzling is the belief in the iPad Mini. Though production reports and leaked photos have been scarce throughout the tech world, media sources insist that Apple will indeed unveil the long-rumored mini tablet alongside the iPhone 5, in a move that is so decidedly un-Apple and un-Steve Jobs. If Apple co-releases these products, then it will mark a profound sea change in the Jobsian approach to hyping and marketing Apple products.
And if all the iPhone 5 leaks turn out to be true, even moreso.
But what about this September 12th announcement date? It too has become cemented into the story of the iPhone 5. Can we rely on September 12th to truly be “the event we’ve all been waiting for?” (Kind of like how WWDC 2012 was “the week we’ve all been waiting for”?)

Some folks have asked me about my consumer electronics accessories sources in Asia, and what they are saying. They are all in on these rumors, just like the rest of the tech community. Cases are being tooled for the iPhone 5 and iPad Mini, and September 12th is D-Day for the launch of marketing campaigns in order to be first to market with new iPhone 5 and iPad Mini gear. But where are they getting their information from? From the bits of iPhone 5 flotsam and jetsam that have leaked into the rumor mill out of shady mainland China?

Moreover, why are we locked into September 12?

So far as I can tell, the September 12th announcement date stands as a result of this article from iMore, published on July 30th:

iMore has learned that Apple is planning to debut the new iPhone at a special event on Wednesday, September 12, 2012, with the release date to follow 9 days later on Friday, September 21. This information comes from sources who have proven accurate in the past.

The iPad mini will be announced at the same September 12 event, as will the new iPod nano. We haven’t heard a release date for the iPad mini yet, but it could be the same as the iPhone 5. It seems likely the new iPod touch will make an appearance on September 12 as well, though we haven’t heard any specific information about that yet either.

Dig deeper into the article, and you start to realize that iMore’s September 12th claim seems more like a deduction based on a rumor posted on a French website citing Chinese sources: “Last week, App4Phone.fr, citing Chinese manufacturing sources, reported the September 21 release date.”

Then, iMore seeks to bolster its claim by citing the agreement of some tech media heavyweights: “Update 2: Jim Dalrymple of The Loop has added his trademark “yep”. Update 3: The Verge is now reporting the September 12, 2012 date as well.”

Interestingly enough, The Verge is where the notion of the elongated iPhone 5 screen first appeared.

Apple is certainly able to call a press conference at its headquarters in Cupertino, but looking at the Moscone Center’s schedule for September, it seems unlikely that there is any way the event could take place there on September 12th:

moscone center schedule september 2012
Intel, which is one of Apple’s key partners, has an event that straddles the 12th, its their big convention/tradeshow for the year. Would Apple have an event to release three new devices — iPhone 5, iPad Mini, and new iPods — and completely suck the air out of Intel’s gig down the street? Maybe.
If Apple is really going to do this on September 12th, it would stand to reason that they would need to get invitations out by September 1st or so, in order to give the mainstream media ample time to get their schedules in place to attend. With that weekend being the Labor Day weekend in the U.S., and the start-up of school the following week, that’s an awfully awkward time to have this landmark event, isn’t it? Last year’s October event was much better positioned, since most people had already settled down into a routine — and were ready to spend some money.
Just as I am not 100% sold on all of this iPhone 5 and iPad Mini stuff going into the announcement, I’m also not 100% sold on the date of the announcement, either. Apple has shown us that anything is possible. But if all this comes true, it seems to make a lot less sense than we’re used to Apple making when it comes to product releases.

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iPhone 5 Front Panel & Screen Leak Looks Like Previous Parts

iphone 5 with serial numbersWe’re being treated once again to what is said to be a glimpse of the iPhone 5, depicting the screen and panel at close range.
Unlike some of the more recent sightings of leaked iPhone 5 parts that have come from Asian-based parts resellers and repair facilities, we now have a sighting of the purported “long body” iPhone 5 from a website called Ubreakifix.com. I agree with MacRumors, who says that “The parts don’t appear to be particularly revealing. We’ve seen similar components before . . .” Those “similar components” would be the overall design of the next iPhone, which leaked parts seem to corroborate that the longer aspect ratio rumor is set to come true.

As you can see in these new photos, the screen and front panel are the same dimensions. There’s also a close-up of the screen, wherein we get a gander at some of the component’s serial numbers
Because UbreakiFix is a U.S. company with some level of trust and authority — they bear the Better Business Bureau badge and have a several offices throughout the country — it perhaps lends a level of credence to the veracity of the rumor. But let’s not forget that Case-Mate, an even larger, more established company, leaked iPhone 5 cases last year as well (much to their own embarrassment).
The question I always ask is, how did the leaker get these parts? I understand that keeping sources anonymous is a key ingredient to getting leaked information, but for a U.S. company like UbreakiFix, it’d be nice to know if the parts came from an Asian reseller, or if these parts came direct from the same source or sources that have been supplying other rumor mills.
So, I looked on the UbreakiFix website to see if I could get a better scoop on the story than what MacRumors and others have been reporting. This is what I found out:
iphone 5 front
For as much as UbreakiFix went out of their way to emblazon their logo across all of their purported leaked photos, there is no mention of the findings on their website! Nothing! I thought, “well, they have a blog, at least. Surely they’ll have a blog posting of the photos.” Again, nothing. Search “iPhone 5? on their site — still nothing.
It’s as if the parts were never found on the website. To me, that’s dubious.
My question at this point is, what did UbreakiFix know, and when did they know it? (Not really — I’ve just always wanted to have a good excuse to type that question, since I think it’s hilarious.) But seriously, where are these parts coming from? How about “Kwe Co.,” the other brand on the photos? Well, I looked up Kwe Co. on Google Hong Kong and found KWE Technologies Group, which “specializes in Custom Control Panels, Building Automation, PCB Services, and Systronik flue gas Analyzers.” Definitely “right church,” but “wrong pew.” Who are these guys?

Until someone can shed some light on how these parts are making it into the open, a show will continue to be cast on the entire scope of these leaked parts. It isn’t to say that they are patently fake or false — to be sure, the preponderance of evidence would suggest they are in fact real. But with every new leak seems to come some awkward detail that keeps a lingering doubt into the minds of many hopeful iPhone 5'ers.

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El Cheap-o iPad Mini Cases Finally Show Up Along El Cheap-o iPhone 5 Cases

ipad-mini-el-cheap-case-1

Plenty of iPhone 5 flotsam and jetsam is floating around the rumor mill, but where is all of the iPad mini junk? Now, some el cheap-o iPad Mini cases have surfaced. But does this really prove anything?

Ah yes, the iPad Mini. Much like the abominable snowman, chupacabra, or bigfoot, it has been long speculated on, sometimes sighted (as in within Cupertino’s secret labs), but at present, nothing has really been seen in the Apple rumor mill pipeline — until now.

According to Tapscape, a couple of el cheap-o polycarbonate plastic shell cases for the purported iPad Mini have surfaced out of China’s dollar-store manufacturing machine, along with the customary iPhone 5 cases that may — or very well may not — have anything to do with the iPhone 5 that Apple officially releases in 2012. Tapscape explains:

New iPad Mini photo leaks emerged this week which served to reconfirm collective agreement that a 7-inch Apple tablet launch is on the horizon. The iPad Mini is speculated to feature a 7-7.85 inch screen and may ship with a non-retina display in order to bring down the price to a level that is competitive with the Amazon Kindle Fire.

Those “photo leaks” of the iPad Mini, which were also commented on by 9to5Mac, are just about as sketchy as they come, which makes any synergy between those photos and these new cases tenuous at best.

ipad-mini-el-cheap-o-case-2

Notwithstanding the fact that these two supposed iPad Mini cases are absolutely hideous, the cutouts and dimensions immediately inspire scrutiny. I won’t take all of the fun away from iPhone 5 News Blogcommentors, but Tapscape makes a few observations: “The iPad Mini case photos reveal circular openings for a rear-facing camera and a separate space for a rear-located mic. The bottom of the iPad Mini cases also have a space for the Mini Dock connector, which is widely expected to replace the current 30-pin connector in all future Apple iOS devices.”

The bottom of the clear case has an opening at the bottom, but it looks wide enough to accommodate a 500-pin dock connector. I have an old dot matrix printer in my attic — maybe I’ll go up there, salvage the serial cable connected to it, and plug it in to see if Apple is bringing back old school connectivity.

Tapscape does take these new el cheap-o cases in stride, however, adding:

Case manufacturers have a habit of prefabricating thousands of iPhone cases before the launch of a new model in hopes of being first-to-market. We saw a similar event in the lead-up to the release of the iPhone 4S – but none of the expected changes eventuated. There is a good chance that these iPhone 5 cases and iPad Mini case photos may just represent ambitious speculation based on existing rumors, but there is also a chance that they may in-fact be based on actual final-build models.

Aside from a very poor set of photos, there has been very few iPad Mini parts sightings — a bad sign that it will actually be co-released with the iPhone 5. Considering that the el cheap-o cases of 2011 were totally off-base, as were the dual release rumors of last year, it can be assumed that a report like this one not only fails to confirm the iPad Mini, but also makes the current iPhone 5 design look sketchy since, if this case manufacturer claims to have an inside track on the as-yet-unseen iPad Mini, how reliable is their information on the iPhone 5's form factor?

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