Comparison of 'iPhone 4S' Antenna Band to GSM and CDMA iPhone 4 - MacRumorsOpen MenuShow RoundupsShow Forums menuVisit ForumsOpen Sidebar
Skip to Content

Comparison of 'iPhone 4S' Antenna Band to GSM and CDMA iPhone 4

Several MacRumors readers have forwarded us a "member only" email from Ideal-case.com claiming to show the antenna band for what would seem to be the "iPhone 4S" based on the current iPhone 4 design. While the antenna band was partially visible in a casing leak from last week, the new photos show direct comparisons between the new antenna band and both the GSM and CDMA iPhone 4 bands.

iphone 4s antenna band sides
The iPhone 4S antenna band is essentially a hybrid of the two earlier designs, showing the same four breaks as the CDMA iPhone 4 but with a SIM-card slot as in the GSM iPhone 4. In the photos, the GSM iPhone 4 antenna band is on top (labeled "4G"), the iPhone 4S antenna band is in the middle (labeled "5G or 4GS"), and the CDMA iPhone 4 is on the bottom (labeled "CDMA").

iphone 4s antenna band ends
Interestingly, this is not the first time this particular design for the antenna band has surfaced, as a similar part appeared as long ago as early January, before the CDMA iPhone 4 had even been unveiled. That part was the first to show the shift in the antenna breaks that also necessitated a slight shift in the position of the mute switch on the CDMA iPhone 4, but also contained a SIM-card slot.

A number of parts appearing very similar to their iPhone 4 counterparts have surfaced in recent weeks, with the suggestion being that these could for a low-end "iPhone 4S" model being developed by Apple. The company has also been rumored to be developing a more significantly updated iPhone 5 offering a thinner design, although little has been seen of this design beyond third-party cases based on a claimed leaked design document.

Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

iOS 27 on iPhone 17 1

iOS 27 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Saturday May 2, 2026 8:43 am PDT by
Apple is expected to unveil iOS 27 during its WWDC 2026 keynote on June 8, and there are already many rumored features and changes for iPhones. The first developer beta of iOS 27 will likely be available immediately following the keynote, and a public beta typically follows in July. Following beta testing, the software update should be released to all users with a compatible iPhone in...
Apple Event Logo

Apple Just Released a New Accessory

Monday May 4, 2026 8:13 am PDT by
Apple today released a new Pride Edition Sport Loop for the Apple Watch. The band features a rainbow design with 11 colors of woven nylon yarns. The new Pride Edition Sport Loop is available to order now on Apple.com and in the Apple Store app in 40mm, 42mm, and 46mm sizes, and it will be available at Apple Store locations starting later this week. In the U.S., the band costs $49. There...
Apple Announces 2026 Pride Band Watch Face and iPhone Wallpaper Article 2

iOS 26.5 Coming Soon With These New Features

Monday May 4, 2026 8:40 am PDT by
iOS 26.5 is expected to be released next week, following more than a month of beta testing. The update is relatively minor, but there are a couple of new features and changes across the operating system that we have recapped below. iOS 26.5 lays the groundwork for end-to-end encryption for RCS in the Messages app and ads in the Apple Maps app, and it will include a new Pride wallpaper and a...

Top Rated Comments

192 months ago
Psh, confidential my a$$ :p
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
bushido Avatar
192 months ago
The current iPhone 4 will handle iOS 5 pretty well, but I do think the voice recognition and new notification system will benefit and preform a lot better with the dual core A5 in the iPhone 4S.
The average customer wont notice any difference tho. Lets face it, the normal guy doesnt care for specs or what on earth "A5" is or what RAM does. All they see is a phone in the same shape of the 4 and ask themself why should i buy that "again" or how is that new, it looks the same. People (im one of those) like design changes more than anything else. Its getting boring having the same thing after a while ^^

U can say whatever u want about samsung but at least every phone looks different + they already got lte (now u can vote me down for saying the "S" word, i dont care)
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
d4rkc4sm Avatar
192 months ago
rumors about antennas make me so happy
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Menopause Avatar
192 months ago
wah!!!you complain to much!!!your a crybaby!!! stop complainining!!! you're complaining annoys me!!! i luv apple products and i dont wanna be annoyed with criticism of my company and complaining is for loosers!!!

I'm always entertained by the 'apple is right and no one better complain about them cause i need someone to yell at!' posts. Quit complaining and go comment on something else already.
Your grammar and spelling skills are making my cat cry :eek:
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Pink∆Floyd Avatar
192 months ago
At least the pictures aren't blurry...
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
bushido Avatar
192 months ago
Prediction Time
(1) antenna compatible with CDMA / GSM
(2) better cameras
(3) will have dual GSM/CDMA capabilities
(4) A5 (maybe faster than iPad A5)
(5) more RAM (768MB or 1GB)
(6) US consumers will be able to buy an unlocked version on day 1

I think storage options will stay the same 16GB and 32GB
No redesign no bigger screen. I can already see the headlines of tmrws newspaper "Is Apple Already Sinking Under Its New Leader?"

Boring. Who cares for more ram, the iphone 4 will handle the new ios just fine considering the 3gs is even getting it + unless devs invest in extra apps for the "special" new a5 and ram iphone (which they wont bc the market of other iphones gives them way to much money still) no one will notice any difference
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Related Apple News: Culture | Reviews | Local News | Lifestyle | Sport