Following yesterday's photos of a case said to be based on the expected design for Apple's lower-cost iPhone, AppleInsider now shares design drawings from a case maker showing expectations for the exact dimensions and profiles of the both the lower-cost iPhone and the iPhone 5S.
Unsurprisingly, the dimensions of the iPhone 5S are nearly identical to those of the iPhone 5, with case makers also apparently expecting the same layout and size of the physical features.
The lower-cost iPhone, which is rumored to be adopting a plastic shell that will requires a slightly larger body than the iPhone 5/5S, is expected to be approximately 0.6 mm taller, 0.6 mm wider, and 0.8 mm thicker than the current design. The drawings also show rounded rear edges that have been rumored since a January report from iLounge. That report also offered similar claims of the relative dimensions for the device compared to the iPhone 5.
The new design drawings also appear to show the exact same set of physical features as described by iLounge, including pill-shaped side buttons rather than the round ones seen on the iPhone 5, as well as a bottom edge reminiscent of the iPod touch with four holes for the speaker rather than the larger grille seen on the iPhone 5. The lower-cost iPhone would also include a pair of screw holes, one on each side of the Lightning connector, and a single microphone hole located very close to the device's headphone jack.
Case makers have on a number of occasions offered accurate pictures of upcoming Apple product designs, although they have also been incorrect at times, most notably with the 2011 tapered iPhone design.
Both the iPhone 5S and the lower-cost iPhone are expected to debut later this year, with September being the most popular rumored timeframe.
Friday December 12, 2025 10:56 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Macworld's Filipe Espósito today revealed a handful of features that Apple is allegedly planning for iOS 26.4, iOS 27, and even iOS 28.
The report said the features are referenced within the code for a leaked internal build of iOS 26 that is not meant to be seen by the public. However, it appears that Espósito and/or his sources managed to gain access to it, providing us with a sneak peek...
Monday December 15, 2025 3:05 pm PST by Juli Clover
Software from an iPhone prototype running an early build of iOS 26 leaked last week, giving us a glimpse at future Apple devices and iOS features. We recapped device codenames in our prior article, and now we have a list of some of the most notable feature flags that were found in the software code.
In some cases, it's obvious what the feature flags are referring to, while some are more...
Monday December 15, 2025 2:05 pm PST by Juli Clover
Last week, details about unreleased Apple devices and future iOS features were shared by Macworld. This week, we learned where the information came from, plus we have more findings from the leak.
As it turns out, an Apple prototype device running an early build of iOS 26 was sold, and the person who bought it shared the software. The OS has a version number of 23A5234w, and the first...
The first foldable iPhone will feature a series of design and hardware firsts for Apple, according to details shared by the Weibo leaker known as Digital Chat Station.
According to a new post, via machine translation, Apple is developing what the leaker describes as a "wide foldable" device, a term used to refer to a horizontally oriented, book-style foldable with a large internal display....
Monday December 15, 2025 4:23 pm PST by Juli Clover
Apple is testing iOS 26.3, the next version of iOS 26 that will launch around January. Since iOS 26.3's testing is happening over the holidays, it is a smaller update with fewer features than we've seen in prior betas.
We've rounded up what's new so far, and we'll add to our list with subsequent betas if we come across any other features.
Transfer to Android
Apple is making it simpler...
Friday December 12, 2025 10:10 am PST by Juli Clover
Apple today released iOS 26.2, the second major update to the iOS 26 operating system that came out in September, iOS 26.2 comes a little over a month after iOS 26.1 launched. iOS 26.2 is compatible with the iPhone 11 series and later, as well as the second-generation iPhone SE.
The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones over-the-air by going to Settings >...
Thursday December 11, 2025 8:49 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple seeded the second iOS 26.2 Release Candidate to developers earlier this week, meaning the update will be released to the general public very soon.
Apple confirmed iOS 26.2 would be released in December, but it did not provide a specific date. We expect the update to be released by early next week.
iOS 26.2 includes a handful of new features and changes on the iPhone, such as a new...
Monday December 15, 2025 7:41 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple released the AirPods Max on December 15, 2020, meaning the over-ear headphones launched five years ago today. While the AirPods Max were updated with a USB-C port and new color options last year, followed by support for lossless audio and ultra-low latency audio this year, the headphones lack some of the features that have been introduced for newer generations of the regular AirPods and the ...
I've been hoping they move the charing connector to the top of the phone. The cables on my desk come from behind the desk, the cables on my nighstand also come from behind the nighstand, the cables in my car come from the front of the car. In all these arrangements, having the cable at the bottom results in stress at the connector and an awkward angle.
Won't be any awkward trying to use your docked phone upside down...
