iPhone Hardware

Looking for a new iPhone 4S with an unlimited data plan? Sprint is hoping to lure customers with older iPhones from rivals Verizon and AT&T, both companies that have ceased offering unlimited data plans to their iPhone customers.

Now you can bring any iPhone from another carrier to Sprint and get $100 credit towards your new iPhone 4S with a two year contract. Sprint has said it will keep offering an unlimited data plan even if the next generation iPhone is released with 4G LTE speeds.

Another day and another iPhone 5 part leaks out from the supply chain. The component has been listed at SW-Box.com as a combination earphone jack, ear speaker and Wi-Fi cable for iPhone 5. Although the part is priced at $7.71 the item is marked out of stock at the moment.

So what does the latest part tell us about the next generation iPhone? As MacRumors points out, the arrangement of the components is significantly different from the current iPhone 4S configuration. While the new part combines the three functions listed above, the current version groups the volume buttons, mute switch and earphone jack together.

Just in case you needed some more spare parts for your nonexistent iPhone 5, SW-Box.com is here to help. The site is selling a silver replacement SIM card tray for the iPhone 5 brand new priced at $2.92.

Believe it or not, the SIM tray does show some differences from the iPhone 4S version, which has led some to believe the part is genuine. Should this be true, it's clear that a newer, smaller nano-SIM design will not be ready for prime time when the sixth generation iPhone goes into production.

According to DigiTimes sources in Apple's supply chain are expecting the company to use in-cell touch panels on the next generation iPhone. These panels combine color filters and touch sensors into a single layer, which reduces thickness.

Toshiba Mobile Display and Sharp have stepped up production of the panels, making them an option for Apple's next iPhone. Although it doesn't reflect any known Apple prototype, the next generation iPhone concept above comes to us from Italian design studio ADR.

Now that 2011 has come and gone without Apple launching a smaller, entry-level iPhone, the time is ripe for a resurgence of rumors on the topic. As we have come to expect every year, reports have arrived of an iPhone nano in the works. BGR gives us the scoop this time, citing China Times and their supplier connections.

To recap for those unfamiliar, the iPhone nano would be designed to help increase market share for iOS by providing a lower-end, less expensive smartphone. With a smaller profile the iPhone nano could also appeal to those seeking a simpler device with a more compact form factor.

Good news for those looking to buy replacement parts for a non-existent iPhone. The home button for the next generation iOS device is here, and it will cost you five bucks. The parts come to us direct from Shenzhen, China's TVC-Mall. The home button comes in white or black.

The only difference between the next generation iPhone home button and the iPhone 4S part is a wider recessed base around the outside of the central button. The current part has two tabs sticking out of the sides, instead of a rectangular base around the entire edge.

Every time a new technology surfaces that could be used in a portable electronic device, the iPhone seems to pop up. Apple likes to be ahead of the curve, and there's no doubt the company is always on the lookout for better ways to power their mobile offerings. Enter the NEC Organic Radical Battery (ORB), which was first announced in 2005.

With a recharge time of just 30 seconds, the ORB breaks new ground. Not only this, but the revamped battery contains no heavy metals like current lithium rechargeable batteries. That means recycling or disposal of the ORB doesn't involve any toxic materials.

Rumors of Apple considering OLED technology for the iPhone display have been floating around for years. Now a report from The Korea Times has rekindled the notion that Apple might switch over to the power-sipping display technology in a future iPhone.

An unnamed Samsung executive explained that Apple has questions over "an output commitment and product volume as Samsung’s OLED business isn’t on full track. But chances have risen to break the wall." Samsung Electronics launched an affiliate company, Samsung Display, which will focus solely on the LCD and OLED display business. The segment currently brings Samsung over $26 billion in annual revenues.

The idea that SIM cards could disappear is looking less likely, as smartphone manufacturers RIM, Nokia and Apple have submitted competing proposals for a next-generation subscriber identity module. The European Telecommunications Standards Institutes (ETSI) has scheduled a vote to decide between the competing designs.

Apple's proposed nano-SIM card is pictured above from The Verge, inside the outline of a standard SIM card. When it comes down to it, the Apple design is much like current micro-SIM cards, except with less plastic around the edges. In contrast, both competing designs from Nokia and RIM are redesigned more like an SD card.

With all the recent talk of a 4.6-inch iPhone screen in the works, Italian design studio ADR has released a new iPhone 5 concept. The latest renderings from ADR are impressive, although they truly push the limits of what's possible.

Maybe this is why we like them so much! Not only does the concept show off a massive Retina display, but the front of the device actually consists of three separate screens. The top and bottom displays are narrow and consistently show the same information. This provides more space for the main screen to run apps.