next generation

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.

ETNews.com doesn't have a perfect track record when it comes to Apple predictions, but they have dusted off a previous iPhone 5 rumor started by the Business Insider in November of last year. According to the Korean publication, Apple is using “liquid metal” technology to build their next-generation iPhone. Apple acquired this technology from Liquidmetal Technologies’ in August of 2010.

"According to industry sources, the next flagship phones of the companies are expected to adopt unprecedented materials for their main bodies, that is, ceramic for the Galaxy S3 and liquid metal for iPhone 5, both being thin, light and highly resistant to external impacts. The new phase of the rivalry is because neither one of them can get a decisive edge over the other solely with its OS and AP specifications, features or design."

Are you ready for another six months of iPhone 5 rumors? You better be, because the Apple rumor mill is fired up and going full force today! According to 9to5Mac, "Apple has internally seeded a prototype next-generation iPhone with the iPhone 4 design." The new prototype labeled "N96" is being used to test a variation of the A5X chip that powers the new iPad in an iPhone.

Topeka Capital Markets analyst Brian White (via AppleInsider) came back from a recent trip to Asia with more "new design" rumors. White told investors that the next-generation iPhone "will be the most significant iPhone upgrade with a four-inch screen and a new, sleek look" that he believes will require a "unibody case." 9toMac also noted in their report that the "actual next-generation iPhone is specifically said to not include the iPhone 4/4S design." However, Apple is using older casings to test the N96 prototype to avoid leaks of the new device. The new iPhone prototype is also supposed to feature 1GB of RAM.