Leaked Component Indicates the iPhone 5 Will Be Very Different from the 4S

A leaked component reportedly stemming from iPhone 5 prototype units has given birth to intense speculation regarding the phone’s design.

Sold under the name “Earphone Jack/ Ear Speaker/ WIFI Cable For iPhone 5,” the component shows clear differences when compared to the same hardware inside the iPhone 4 and the iPhone 4S. This piece in particular combines the iPhone’s headphone jack, earpiece, and Wi-Fi cable, whereas in the one found in previous-generation iPhones the headphone jack is bundled with the volume controls and the mute hardware switch. Radical internal changes spell major changes on the outside as well.

Not that it wasn’t already obvious Apple was going to change the design of its iPhone this year. After all, how many more iPhone 4-looking handsets can the California company sell? Last year, the media was indulgent enough when the iPhone 4S came out looking exactly like its predecessor. This time around, the press will be out for the kill if Apple doesn’t innovate.

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