iPhone Hardware

Apple is known for retaining the external look and form factor of the iPhone in between major upgrades, tweaking things a little and adding an "S" to the number. Now that more parts have surfaced as Apple prepares its latest smartphone for production, it seems that the iPhone 5S could have more significant design changes in store.

For the most part, these upgrades will be internal while the size and shape of the 5S will remain the same. More evidence has surfaced, however that Apple will release the iPhone 5S in different colors besides silver and black, as a gold SIM card tray matching those previously leaked is included in the latest batch of photos from BGR. So what does Apple have up its sleeve for the next generation iPhone?

It goes without saying that mysterious photo leaks from anonymous sources can't always be trusted. Apple itself has been known to develop and test several prototypes before deciding which model to put into production for the masses, so even legitimate leaks don't mean much. Even so, Tactus claims this photo depicts the back of the upcoming budget iPhone coming later this year.

Analysts and the rumor mill have been talking about a less expensive iPhone model for some time, which would presumably make it possible for Apple to further increase the market share of the handset. Not only could a cheaper iPhone make the device more accessible to more people, it would certainly lower production costs for Apple while introducing the App Store and iTunes to more paying customers.

Scratched up the aluminum back on your iPhone 5? Now you can get a replacement back plate in white or black for $99. The same folks over at iPhone5mod that have brought the illuminated iPhone 5 Lightning cable to market are offering the rear case replacement parts.

The rear panels pictured on the product page look identical to production iPhone 5 parts except they are missing country-specific certification information normally found printed below the iPhone name. iPhone5mod is using original Lightning connector chips in its 8-pin cable, and claims the back iPhone 5 cover is also 100 percent original.

The iPhone 5 may be a technical achievement by Apple, but as always happens when you produce tens of millions of copies, something is bound to go wrong. Reports from early adopters of the latest generation iPhone have been overwhelmingly positive, however there are some users who have experienced problems. None of these have stemmed the record-breaking sales that started on launch day.

Some Apple fans might be waiting to pull the trigger on an upgrade until early iPhone 5 issues are worked out. Often an iOS update will solve some problems, while others are manufacturing glitches that can be returned under the Apple Care warranty. So what has been making headlines in the "needs improvement" department? Here are the top 5 problems, issues and complaints revolving around the iPhone 5 launch.

The electricity costs of plugging in that iPhone charger can add up over time. So how much are we talking about to keep your iOS device charged for a full year?

According to Opower the iPhone 5 costs a total of $0.41 per year. The iPhone 4 came in even lower, at an annual electricity cost of 38 cents.

Compared to larger consumer devices such as notebook computers and flat-screen televisions, the iPhone is a power sipper.

With the iPhone 5 rumor mill going crazy, it's easy to think that all of the hardware and software details have already been revealed. In reality, it's not until devices start getting into the hands of everyday users that some surprises crop up. For all of the rumored features that don't come true (like a totally waterproof iPhone 5, for example) there are always some unexpected positives that come our way.

For one, even though the iPhone 5 camera has the same basic specifications as the previous model, low-light photo quality is superior. Video quality comparisons have also shown the iPhone 5 camera to be a significant step up over the iPhone 4S. Of course, these reports combined with the fact that the front-facing FaceTime camera is now HD means imaging has taken another step forward on the iPhone 5.

Looks like one lucky Apple customer already received an iPhone 5 in the mail. While the rest of us are waiting until Friday for the first round of pre-orders to arrive, here are some unboxing photos thanks to a tip sent to BGR. So what does the unboxing tell us about the iPhone 5?

For one, that's a new charger that has been redesigned to deliver more power to the iPhone while charging via the Lightning cable. The Lightning to USB cable is packaged along with Apple's completely revamped EarPods with remote. iPhone 5 owners will get the same EarPod carrying case that comes when they are purchased separately.

Once a new Apple product hits the market, it doesn't take long for someone to disassemble the unit to see what makes it tick. In classic fashion, iFixit did just that to the EarPods, even though they are not designed to be opened or repaired. Despite this drawback, there are several design improvements beyond just acoustics.

The EarPods are the first Apple earbud headphones to utilize paper cones in the speaker diaphragms as opposed to all plastic. Not only should this improve frequency response, but it results in a more durable speaker that will better resist tearing. Other durability improvements were also spotted in the teardown.

Connector details continue to surface ahead of the iPhone 5 arrival next Friday. One of the biggest questions facing Apple was how to implement a smaller dock connector to replace the aging 30-pin design in service since 2003. We already know the Lightning 8-pin dock connector will be 80 percent smaller and completely reversible.

As it turns out, Apple decided to go with the Lightning proprietary design over micro-USB because the USB cables lack functionality. Engineers believed the disadvantages of losing the standard cable format would be outweighed by additional connectivity made possible by the Lightning cable, giving third-party devices more possibilities.

With the unrelenting flood of iPhone 5 rumors over the past few months, it's a wonder that Apple even had a keynote event to announce their latest smartphone. Despite all of the leaked details, there were still some surprises that Apple fans were treated to, even if the rest of the presentation was just confirming what we already knew.

Some of the common rumors that were confirmed included a hybrid metal and glass back, LTE network support and a larger 16:9 ratio in-cell touch display. And of course, Apple made the iPhone 5 thinner and lighter than its predecessor, without sacrificing battery life. Still, there were a few surprises that were mentioned in the rumor mill little or not at all.