BGR is reporting from a “close source” that Apple has plans to introduce a completely redesigned iPhone 5 in the fall of 2012. The next-generation smartphone will supposedly feature an aluminum casing, much like the iPad 2.
While BGR has gotten iPhone rumors incredibly wrong in the past, the prospect of a redesigned iPhone 5 for 2012 makes sense…
For starters, we can now confidently say that Apple’s next iPhone will launch in the fall next year, around the same time that this year’s iPhone 4S launched. We have also learned that Apple is planning to use a rubber or plastic material — similar to the material used in the company’s bumper cases — that will be built into the new iPhone case. In all likelihood, this material will be used as a bezel surrounding the front edge of the phone (like the iPhone 3GS bezel) and it will serve two purposes. First, it will join the glass iPhone face with a new aluminum back plate. It will also cover a redesigned antenna system that surrounds the device, allowing Apple to build the rear case out of aluminum without having to use a large plastic insert above the antennas as the company does on its iPad 2 Wi-Fi + 3G.
The rumor mill has been saying that the iPhone 5 will feature an aluminum case and slightly larger display. Many blogs (BGR included) originally said that the completely redesigned iPhone 5 was coming out last year. We’ll see how accurate the rumors are this time around.