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New, high-quality shots of 'iPhone 5C' casing appear

New shots purport to be the back of Apple's upcoming low-cost iPhone.

Josh Lowensohn Former Senior Writer
Josh Lowensohn joined CNET in 2006 and now covers Apple. Before that, Josh wrote about everything from new Web start-ups, to remote-controlled robots that watch your house. Prior to joining CNET, Josh covered breaking video game news, as well as reviewing game software. His current console favorite is the Xbox 360.
Josh Lowensohn
2 min read
Could this be Apple's next iPhone?
Could this be Apple's next iPhone? Sonny Dickson

More photos of what appears to be Apple's next iPhone, or at least a lower-cost version of it, have cropped up.

Sonny Dickson, who is a frequent leaker of all things Apple hardware, has posted a rather large gallery of the rear case of a white, plastic iPhone.

It's just a piece of the device, so there are no internals inside, just some mounts for various components. Also of note is that there don't appear to be any openings for the typical volume buttons and mute switch, which have been included on each and every iPhone model so far.

The iPhone 5C, as it has been dubbed, is expected to debut alongside an updated model of the iPhone 5 this fall. The device, which already has some cases on places like Amazon, is rumored to be a low-cost iPhone model aimed at better penetrating prepaid markets, like China.

Apple's strategy thus far has been to sell older models at lower costs. Come the next model, that might not work out as well with the iPhone 4S, which has a smaller screen size and uses an older 30-pin connector instead of Apple's Lightning connector. The 5C could knock it out of the lineup. The device was even mentioned (though not by name) in a recent reportabout one of Apple's contract manufacturers from the China Labor Watch.

Dickson has posted 5C photos before, but these latest offer a more diverse look. Last month the Australian blogger posted a shot that depicts various possible colors for the 5C rear shell.

Sonny Dickson