iPhone 5 Has Larger Display and Metal Case, Source Confirms
The Apple iPhone 5 rumors are becoming more cohesive and authoritative as we near the expected announcement this summer. The latest source is from the iPhone manufacturer itself and confirms that the iPhone 5 will have a larger display and a metal back cover.
This rumor certainly isn't new, but Apple news site 9to5 Mac says the latest source of this rumor comes from Foxconn, the Chinese manufacturer that makes iPhone parts and assembles the device. The Foxconn source said production is just getting under way for the iPhone 5, which fits nicely with the expected summer launch schedule.
While there is little specific information on just how much larger the display will be, the source did verify that the iPhone 5 will look much the same as the iPhone 4. Previous rumors of a return to aluminum back plates for the iPhone 5 indicated that they would also return to curved backs , as opposed to the boxy look of the iPhone 5 . The Foxconn source disputes that part of the rumor.
Some consumers and experts have worried about aluminum cases because they caused signal attenuation problems (poor reception and dropped calls) in the original iPhone. However, the external antenna design introduced in the iPhone 4 design (and which will likely remain in the iPhone 5) would render the point moot. As we've seen before, however, the external antenna has enough signal attenuation problems of its own that a metal back plate wouldn't be consumers' biggest worry.
