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Latest iPhone 5 leak teases more RAM, map tweaks

The latest in a series of purported iPhone 5 leaks suggests Apple is doubling up on RAM and boosting its graphical prowess.

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
A purported shot of the new Maps app interface.
A purported shot of the new Maps app interface. 9to5Mac

While Apple's next iPhone isn't expected to arrive until later this year, details of what the device will look like and how Apple might change some of its key software features continue to trickle out.

The latest comes from 9to5Mac, which earlier this week posted purported photos of the front and back of upcoming iPhone models. Today the blog has a follow-up with details of a development version of the hardware, and iOS 6 -- the next major version of iOS Apple is expected to debut at the company's developer conference in a few weeks.

Citing an unnamed source behind the specs, 9to5Mac says the prototype unit is running on an "ARM S5L8950X" processor, a model number that's higher than the ones found on Apple's latest iPhone 4S and third-generation iPad. No details were offered about its speed versus existing chips, short of a mention of a new graphics chip. The outlet also claims the phone will sport 1GB of RAM, up from the 512MB that ships on the iPhone 4S.

On the software side, 9to5Mac suggests "Apple is far along" with iOS 6. That includes another shot of an updated maps app with imagery not from Google, which looks similar to the one posted earlier this week by mobile tech blog Boy Genius Report.

Apple is once again expected to introduce its next iPhone in the fall instead of the summer. The change last year moved up the public unveiling of iOS 5 in time for the company's annual developers conference, as well as timed the iPhone 4S and iOS 5 for a release closer to the lucrative holiday shopping season.

Stay up to date with every iPhone 5 rumor out there with CNET's handy round up.