iPhone 5 Mockup Video Brings Rumors to Life

For months iPhone 5 rumors leaked out from various sources painting a vivid and detailed picture of what the new iPhone will look like.

The look of the new iPhone is still unconfirmed, but reports from The Verge and GSM Israel show case makers are certain Apple will announce the thinner, taller iPhone 5. These case makers are so sure the leaked iPhone 5 is real, these un-named case makers are planning to ship the cases to the U.S. as early as next week.

Read: iPhone 5 Event Confirmed

Normally known for being the best at keeping secrets in the mobile business, this year we’ve seen a number of iPhone rumors including our iPhone 5 engineering sample, that matches up with this new mock-up.

The Verge’s Vlad Savov provides a goof overview of what to expect the new iPhone will look and feel like, including one of the best iPhone 5 vs iPhone 4S comparison videos yet.

This isn’t the first time a case maker is taking a risk on iPhone 5 rumors. Last fall Hard Candy Cases gambled on an iPhone 5 with a tapered back and pill shaped home button, only to take a loss on the $50,000 in upfront costs when Apple announced the iPhone 4S, with a design just like the iPhone 4.

iPhone 5 Design & Size

In the video we see the new iPhone is taller than the iPhone 4S, and the iPhone 5 is “noticeably” thinner. There is still a small black layer from the front and back of the iPhone, but everything is thinner. It’s almost as if Apple placed the iPhone 4S under a tremendous amount of pressure to stretch the body and display.

We also see the new two-tone design and thinner bezels on the front. The home buttons are the same size according to the video, and appears to act the same.

The iPhone 5 mock-up moves the headphone port to the bottom of the iPhone, placing it next to a smaller dock connector with larger speaker grilles, though there is likely only one speaker on the bottom of the phone, just like on the iPhone 4S.

In the video we also see a smaller SIM card slot. Savov refers to this as a Micro SIM, not the rumored Nano SIM we’ve seen in earlier rumors.

iPhone 5 Display

The mockup is not functional, so there’s no way to see what apps, movies and games look like on a larger 4-inch iPhone display, but the video below from MacRumors shows how Apple could bring your favorite apps and iPhone experience to a larger 4-inch display.

This is only one way the larger iPhone display could work. The new aspect ratio from a taller display and the stretch to 4-inches delivers 17% more viewing area, but can dramatically increase the on-screen content from movies and TV shows thanks to smaller black bars.

Is This the iPhone 5?

Despite the investment by at least one case manufacturer and the great looks of the new iPhone mock-up, it’s not clear if this is the real iPhone 5.

We won’t know what the iPhone 5 will look like until Apple takes the stage to announce the new iPhone. Current rumors point to a September 12th iPhone 5 announcement at Apple’s headquarters in Cupertino, Calif. iPhone 5 preorders may start shortly after the event.

The iPhone 5 release date is currently pegged for Friday September 21st, when customers should be able to walk into Verizon, Sprint, AT&T and Apple stores to purchase the new iPhone, possibly after a long wait.

Check out GottaBeMobile’s iPhone 5 coverage for more on Apple’s new iPhone.