More pictures of what is allegedly a shell for the upcoming iPhone 6 have surfaced, and if legitimate, they show the exterior design of the device in more detail than we’ve seen before.
There have been rumors, leaked design schematics, and more recently a single shot of another shell that was purportedly for the unreleased device. These new photos show not only the back, but the side of the shell in detail. It looks like Apple is making some design changes to accommodate a larger display.
As previously reported, today’s leaked shell shows an iPod touch-like, curved design along the sides of the device. The volume buttons have been changed to resemble the iPod touch’s volume rocker, and the power button appears to have been moved from the top of the device to the side. This change is probably due to Apple wanting it keep buttons easily accessible while also making the device larger.
The rear Apple logo will likely be embedded inside the shell’s cutout, which is how the iPad is assembled. When a similar backplate leaked last month, the missing logo caused some to speculate that it would serve some special function, like glowing to alert the user of a notification. Apple has patented such technology, but there have been no specific reports to indicate such a feature for this year’s model.
The 4.7-inch iPhone 6 is expected to come out this fall, and there have also been rumors surrounding a larger 5.5-inch model arriving later in the year.