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Is this what the iPhone 5 looks like? MacRumors says yes

Check out these sexy new mockup images, which are based on leaked specs and in-production case designs.

Rick Broida Senior Editor
Rick Broida is the author of numerous books and thousands of reviews, features and blog posts. He writes CNET's popular Cheapskate blog and co-hosts Protocol 1: A Travelers Podcast (about the TV show Travelers). He lives in Michigan, where he previously owned two escape rooms (chronicled in the ebook "I Was a Middle-Aged Zombie").
Rick Broida
2 min read
Hello, gorgeous! If some leaked case specs are to be believed, the iPhone 5 might look very much like this.
Hello, gorgeous! If some leaked case specs are to be believed, the iPhone 5 might look very much like this. MacRumors

If the latest rumors are true, we'll find out September 7 what the iPhone 5 looks like. That's when Apple will purportedly hold a media event to unveil whatever it's been hatching all summer.

In the meantime, MacRumors has cooked up some decidedly sexy mockups of the iPhone 5. (Click either photo for a larger version.) But these images aren't based on wishful thinking; Chinese case manufacturers have already started producing iPhone 5 cases based on some design specs that were leaked last month.

Consequently, MacRumors commissioned CiccareseDesign to "create high-quality renderings made as closely as possible to the original leaked case designs. Measurements were taken against the original case design leaks, and then imported into 3D modeling software."

In other words, if those specs were the real deal, then the iPhone 5 may look very much like what you're seeing here. (That said, I'm not holding my breath for white versions right out of the starting gate.)

These mockups suggest an iPhone 5 design that's closer (at the rear, anyway) to the iPhone 3G.
These mockups suggest an iPhone 5 design that's closer (at the rear, anyway) to the iPhone 3G. MacRumors

And what exactly do these mockups tell us? For starters, the iPhone 5 will almost certainly have a larger screen than its predecessors, most likely measuring 4 inches diagonally. That's only half an inch of growth, but it translates to nearly 15 percent more viewing area.

There's also the question of the Home button. Will it be elongated, as shown in the mockups and suggested by the case designs? If so, that could prove another rumor: that the iPhone 5 will have a touch-sensitive Home button that responds to swiping. Alternately, as MacRumors notes, the button might remain the same size, but the cases' larger opening would allow for swiping.

I'm sure we'll find out more in the coming weeks, as the leaks tend to get hotter and heavier the closer we get to an Apple event. Of course, at this point even the September 7 date is unconfirmed--but it does seem very likely that Apple will show its cards early next month. As always, stay tuned!

What are your thoughts on the mockups? Think they're close to the real deal? If so, do you like the designs? Share your thoughts in the comments!