While most tech heads are forced to wait until June for their yearly update from Apple regarding the latest information on the next iPhone model, new leaked photos appear to have already revealed the fourth version of the groundbreaking smartphone.
It comes as the company has just disappointed Australian tech fans by announcing the international launch of the iPad will be delayed until late May, with pre-orders to begin three weeks from today.
Pictures leaked by tech blog Engadget reveal the fourth incarnation of the smartphone, with the prototype gadget having been found in San Jose by accident. While the site itself was sceptical of the gadget at first, new photos showing the phone besides a confirmed prototype model of the iPad seemingly prove the phone’s authenticity.
The new iPhone is remarkably different from its previous versions. It features a thick rectangular design, a departure from the smooth edges of the gadget’s previous versions, contains a long-awaited front-facing camera and also features a massive 80GB of storage.
Additionally, a source has also told the site the new iPhone features a higher resolution touch keyboard, a camera with the ability to use a flash and a MicroSIM card reader – features widely called for by tech fans.
The leak comes just after the company has released features of the upcoming iPhone OS 4.0, which features many long-awaited inclusions such as multitasking and app organisation folders. Apple said the new operating system would be available in the Australian winter, indicating a release alongside the new iPhone.
The company has also booked a room at a San Francisco conference centre for June 22, around the time it usually announces new iPhone models. This would come during the annual World Wide Developer’s Conference, at which the company usually makes large iPhone-related announcements.
With the new hardware and OS 4.0 software combined, the new version looks set to introduce a number of features developers have been calling for over the past two years. Some have criticised the company for not keeping up with rival manufacturers.
Patrick Stafford is a freelance journalist and a former deputy editor of SmartCompany.
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