Skip to main content

Is this the iPhone 5?

iphone-5This morning we caught a glimpse of a purported iPhone 5 case, and now 9to5Mac believes it may have an image of the real thing. Given the fact that Apple rumors are a dime a dozen and that for every true report we’re subjected to a handfuls of pure gossip, we suggest taking this with a hefty grain of salt.

Now that we’ve gotten disclaimers out of the way, here’s the story. A “tipster” sent in the above image, claiming he saw an Apple employee using the pictured handset during a commute from San Francisco. 9to5Mac claims to have researched said tipster’s background and that given his apparent reliability and knowledge of iOS devices, the site thinks he snapped a photo of a prototype iPhone 5.

iphone-5He called the phone “almost EVO-like” when it comes to its display, and then true to what we’ve heard it’s thinner than the iPhone 4. It features rounded edges and a tapered backing. He says the user was clearly trying to hide the handset from prying eyes and making a point to attempt to cover the logo as much as possible.

It wouldn’t be the first time Apple sent prototypes into the wild before an official launch – we all remember the iPhone 4-Gizmodo fiasco. On the other hand, we’re not so sure that more than a month out from the projected release date an Apple employee would be using an iPhone on public transportation. But study up, take the image for what it’s worth, and soon enough we’ll know if this was the real thing.

Editors' Recommendations

Molly McHugh
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Before coming to Digital Trends, Molly worked as a freelance writer, occasional photographer, and general technical lackey…
iPhone 16: news, rumored price, release date, and more
A person holding the Apple iPhone 15 Plus and Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max.

Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

We're more than six months removed from the launch of the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro, so you know what that means: iPhone 16 rumors are in full force. Talk is heating up about everything from design leaks and rumored specs to camera changes and more.

Read more
Stop! Don’t buy this iPad at Best Buy today
The iPad 10.2 is great for reading.

For those who want to buy one of Apple's iPads but within a tight budget, the highly recommended option is the ninth-generation Apple iPad. The Wi-Fi, 64GB model is pretty cheap for its , which is how much it's going for on Best Buy, but you'll enjoy savings of $80 if you purchase the tablet from Walmart, where it's available for just $249. You're going to have to be quick in completing the transaction though -- with more than 500 units sold over the past 24 hours, we're not sure how much time is remaining before stocks run out.

Why you should buy the Apple iPad 9th Gen
The ninth-generation Apple iPad was released in 2021, but it's still in our roundup of the best iPads as the best iPad on a budget. While it's not as powerful as the latest models of Apple's tablets, it still provides decent performance for most daily tasks with its A13 Bionic chip, which is the same processor that's found in the iPhone 11 series. The tablet ships with iPadOS 15, but you can upgrade it to the latest iPadOS 17 right after unboxing it to be able to access the operating system's latest features.

Read more
How to transfer photos from an iPhone to a computer
The Apple iPhone 15 Plus's gallery app.

As the old saying goes, the best camera is the one you always have with you. If you're like most iPhone users, that means you've likely amassed a sizeable collection of photos on your device. However, while Apple's Photos app is a great way to manage and view your photo library, it's never a good idea to keep all your eggs in one basket. After all, suffering a lost or broken iPhone is painful enough without also losing all your precious digital memories in the process.

Even if you're backing up your iPhone to iCloud or your computer, it's a good idea to keep your photos backed up separately. After all, opening a folder or a photo management app is a much easier way to get at your photos than trying to extract them from an iCloud or iTunes/Finder backup, which requires either restoring them to another iPhone or relying on special software tools.

Read more