Apple to use thin-film touch technology in 7in iPad mini

Reports suggest that the smaller iPad will launch before the end of 2012

The thin-film technology will enable the iPad mini to be thinner because it has one less layer than the current structure, said the sources. They also claim that the technology will help reduce costs.

The sources said that Apple wants to say competitive with other small-sized tablets that are already on the market. The sources believe that up to 10 million units of the 7in iPad will ship this year.

Pacific Crest Analyst Andy Hargreaves also believes that the smaller iPad could use thin-film technology, and will launch before Christmas, reports Forbes.

"Our checks suggest a smaller iPad is likely to launch prior to this holiday season," he wrote in a research note on Monday. "Checks with component suppliers suggest that Apple is beginning to provide order indications for a smaller iPad that is likely to launch before the holiday period."

Hargreaves expects that the smaller iPad could sell for $299 (£188). He believes that the iPad mini will have a 1024x768 pixel display. "We also expect Apple to use a glass-film touch solution instead of the more expensive glass-glass touch solution that it uses on the larger iPads and the iPhone," said Hargreaves. "This combination, along with a smaller battery, should allow Apple to reduce its bill-of-materials by at least $50 versus the new iPad. Apple may also choose to use the legacy A5 core processor and reduce storage to 8GB, which would further reduce the bill of materials and could drive upside to our preliminary gross margin estimate of 30%."

Hargreaves, however, dismisses the idea of an Apple television set, claiming that Apple wouldn't waste the retail space, and that there's little chance of it doing a deal with US broadcast and cable providers.

Rumours of a 7in iPad have been circulating for some time now, with Daring Fireball's John Gruber recently claiming that Apple is in the process of testing a prototype of the iPad mini.

Earlier in the year, reports surfaced claiming that Apple has chosen to use a slim bezel on the iPad in order to maximize the viewing area of the tablet.

Samsung Securities also expects Apple to launch a smaller iPad, possibly in the third quarter of 2012.

Rumours of a 7in iPad continue to be viewed with some skepticism, however, as the late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs famously dismissed the idea in October 2010, saying: "The 10in screen size is the minimum size required to create great tablet apps. 7in tablets are tweeners: too big to compete with a smartphone, and too small to compete with an iPad."

Here's how desperately cities want Apple stores

According to a report, Apple gets hugely preferential leases just to open its stores in certain cities and locations. Why is anyone surprised?

It seems that Apple is retail's Botox.

The minute an Apple store appears in a shopping mall -- or, say, a vast famous New York railway station -- somehow the area becomes prettier and more devastatingly young.

The Next Web reports that Apple is continually offered ludicrously favorable incentives just to be the next shiny dance partner for a city or a shopping mall.

Apparently, authorities in Grand Central Terminal and Salt Lake City didn't bother with annoying complexities as some (or any) rent or share of profit in order to encourage Cupertino to erect a little more glass, white and silver in their vicinities.

ABC News suggests that the Utah city offered 5 years free rent.

This follows from a New York Post report that Apple is only paying $60 per square foot at its new store in Grand Central Station -- as opposed to a restaurant that has to pay $200. Apple isn't even reportedly required to share any of its profits, as are almost all other stores there.

To many, this will seem like obvious business sense. Apple stores are constantly crowded with people who have the virtue of still possessing money -- or those simply keen on making dancing videos.

It's an interesting logic, though, that attracting Apple customers to an area will automatically make the local Ann Taylor or Benihana suddenly more attractive. It's surely more true that once an Apple store arrives, other more sexy establishments might follow.

However, to compare an Apple store with a restaurant is a little odd. There's one slightly significant difference between the two: restaurants tend to go bust rather more often than Apple stores. Some estimate that 27 percent of restaurants go down in the first year. Apple stores, on the other hand, don't seem to disappear as often.

If you really want to understand the truths of the restaurant business, there is no finer -- and more salty-tongued -- recent book than "Restaurant Man," written by Mario Batali's business partner, Joe Bastianich. This is a business that fights for margin past every piece of expensive linen and supplier fraud.

There again, surely Apple also chooses locations where it feels its stores will be able to beam with pride. It's not as if Grand Central, for example, is an entirely ugly (or cheap) location.

Indeed, only the other day I stumbled somewhat blindly into a Grand Central tapas restaurant called La Fonda Del Sol.

The wine was good and I was in the mood for a paella. I should have looked a little more carefully. When the check came, the paella was $68.

Of course, any retail area enjoys having an Apple store in its midst. But Apple stores also choose to be in places where ready cash is a-jangling.

Many might remember one of Steve Jobs' final presentations -- to Cupertino City Council. He was talking them into Apple's new alleged spaceship HQ.

During the presentation, one of the council members wondered why there wasn't an Apple store in Cupertino (other than on Apple's campus).

Jobs replied very politely: "The problem with putting an Apple store in Cupertino is that there just isn't the traffic."

'jOBS' Movie to Film in Los Altos Garage Where Apple Began

There's something strange about the thought of Hollywood reconstructing Steve Jobs' early Los Altos, California home on a backlot somewhere in Southern California. Thankfully, for Apple purists, filming for one of the two Steve Jobs movies currently in production will make use of the real-world home where Jobs grew up and, more importantly, co-founded his company.

According to the latest release from Five Star Feature films, principal photography for jOBS will start in June and early scenes will be shot in the very Los Altos house and garage that played such an instrumental role in Jobs' early Silicon Valley life. The famous "Apple Garage" is the site where Jobs and Wozniak assembled a good chunk of the first 50-unit order for Apple-1 computers – a $50,000 order that set the stage for the eventual incorporation of Apple (in preparation of the launch of the Apple II system) in 1977.

The film has been in the works since August of 2011, the exact month of Jobs' resignation as Apple's longtime CEO. Ashton Kutcher's taking the helm as Jobs himself, and early shots of the star in Jobs' trademark blue jeans and black turtleneck ensemble have already hit the Web. Director Joshua Michael Stern – who has directed all of two releases prior to jumping on board the jOBS film – will present the "major moments" and "defining characters" that made up Jobs' life between 1971 and 2000.

"The film covers Jobs from his early years as an impressionable youth and wayward hippie, through his initial successes and infamous ousting, to his storybook return and ultimate triumphs as a man who set out to change the world and did just that," reads the release.

jOBS is expected to hit theaters later on this year. But it won't be the first and only Steve Jobs-related film to reach the silver screen. Sony just recently announced that the screenplay for its competing unnamed film based on Walter Isaacson's official biography, "Steve Jobs," is all in the hands of "The Social Network" writer Aaron Sorkin.

However, Sony has yet to fill the actual role of Steve Jobs for its big film. Early rumors have brought up either George Clooney or "Pirates of Silicon Valley" star Noah Wyle as possible contenders for the role.

iPad Mini: Apple Certifying Display Manufacturers

Six million displays to be produced ahead of iPad Mini's rumored third quarter launch

Today, it seems, is the day of the Apple rumor. Reports about upcoming Apple products have been coming fast and furious all morning. First, there was apparent confirmation of the new iPhone’s 4-inch screen. Then there was a rumor about the iPad Mini getting a fall release date. Then we learned that Apple may have it’s own version of Kinect in the works for the possibly upcoming iTV/Apple TV.

Now we have a second rumor about the iPad Mini. According to Taiwanese new agency The Liberty Times (Google Translation), Apple has certified the two main manufacturers for the iPad Mini’s 7.85-inch display. It seems that AU Optronics and LG are the two companies set to build the screens.

The report also says that the backlight for the display will be produced by TPK Holding and Chimei Innolux, while Nissha Printing will handle the touch sensor film. It also predicts a release date near the end of the third quarter, which would put the iPad Mini just ahead of the launch of the next iPhone, which is widely expected to release in October.

Of course, this report – like everything surrounding the iPad Mini – is still just a rumor. Steve Jobs’s famous pronouncement that the original iPad was as small as a tablet could go and still provide a good user experience has long held Apple back from producing a smaller, cheaper version of the iPad to compete in the 7-inch Android tablet market. If Apple does plan to release an iPad Mini, it would represent a significant departure from Jobs’s apparent opinion on the matter.

Apple TV May Get Apple’s Own Version Of Kinect

         Apple's answer to Kinect has been sitting in their labs for seven years

The Apple rumor mill has been in high gear these days. What with reports of an iPad Mini, the new iPhone, and the iTV, speculation about what Apple’s got coming down the product pipeline has been rampant. Reports about Apple’s supposed foray into the HDTV market with a device alternately called either the iTV or the Apple TV (not to be confused with the set-top box), have played a pretty sizable role in that speculation. There has been speculation about the TV’s size, its shape, its price, and its features (Siri? FaceTime?).

One feature that’s bounced around the rumor mill but hasn’t picked up a lot of traction, though, is motion control. This rumor – often dismissed – suggests that Apple’s HDTV will be getting the same kind of motion- and voice-activated interface that Microsoft introduced with their Kinect system. With a system like this in place, you wouldn’t need Apple’s remote app on your iPhone or iPad. You wouldn’t even need a physical remote. You could control your TV by talking to it and waving at it. This, of course, could pose a problem for enthusiastic sports fans, who may get tired of hearing Siri say things like “I’m sorry, I don’t understand ‘Pass the damn ball.’”

At any rate, while a motion controlled iTV/Apple TV is still very much in doubt (as is the TV itself, for that matter), it appears that Apple really could implement the technology if they want. In fact, according to a report today from Business Insider, Apple’s “answer” to Kinect is older than Kinect itself. According to “a source familiar with the software,” the software started out as a hack designed to have devices shut themselves down when they detect the user leaving the room or waving goodbye. It was originally developed in 2005.

When Apple decided to hang onto the software, the source assumed it was going to be incorporated into Macs with iSight cameras built in. That, of course, never happened, and Apple has apparently kept the tech under wraps ever since.

The revelation that Apple has motion sensing technology already in the works prompts BI to suggest that it could go into the rumored iTV. Combined with Siri, this technology would instantly give Apple a strong competitor to Microsoft’s Kinect system, which has rapidly evolved into far more than a mere game controller.

Of course, the technology could also be used in other ways: it could still be implemented in Macs, or it could be adapted for use in iOS devices, perhaps as an answer to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich’s Face Unlock feature. Or it really could go into the iTV. Always assuming, of course, that Apple really is making an iTV, and really does plan to bring it to market. While that seems more and more likely of late, the fact is that the device is still basically just another rumor.

But if it isn’t just a rumor, if Apple really is working on their own HDTV, then motion sensing technology (along with Siri, FaceTime, the App Store, and a few other unique Apple touches) could make for a pretty revolutionary HDTV, even if Apple doesn’t get the content delivery deals they reportedly want for it.

iPhone 5 Rumor: Four Inch Screen Screen Gets More Confirmation

                    Apple's flagship device is about to have a growth spurt

Yesterday we brought you a news that rumors of a 4-inch screen for the iPhone 5 had been confirmed. Sources told the Wall Street Journal that Apple was in talks with three manufacturers to supply displays at least 4-inches on the diagonal to Apple for the next iPhone.

Today, those rumors have apparently been confirmed again. Reuters is reporting that Apple is indeed making preparations to expand the display of the iPhone. Citing “people familiar with the situation,” the report pegs the iPhone display at 4 inches (most rumors have said it would be at least 4 inches, maybe bigger). They also confirm that Apple is in talks with Sharp, LG, and Japan Display to build the screens. The report speculates that Apple will order displays from all three manufacturers in order to speed up production, which may start in August.

Reuters also suggests that the increase in screen size is a response to the increasing screen size of Android-based smartphones, particularly made by Apple’s arch-rival Samsung. While that’s possible, it’s not necessarily true. Apple traditionally prefers to create market trends, rather than following them. Though it’s possible that Apple could be just hopping onto the bigger screen bandwagon, it’s also true that they’ve taken the 3.5-inch screen of the previous five iPhone models about as far as they can. Unless they decide to add haptic feedback or some other new technology to the display, there isn’t much they can do to improve it other than make it a little bigger. They’ve hit what appears to be an upper limit on display resolution, and there are only so many ways you can redesign the body around a 3.5-inch display, so bumping the display size a little is an easy way to make the new phone stand out from its predecessors.

There’s one other major factor, though, that Reuters doesn’t take into account and that is probably a major driving factor in the increase in size. Recall, if you will, that in March Apple debuted a shiny new iPad with only a handful of new features. One of the most notable of those features (apart from the retina display) was 4G. Now, it probably goes without saying, but there’s no way that Apple would launch a 4G iPad in March and then not launch a 4G iPhone in October.

But adding 4G comes with a price – the 4G radios take up more space inside the casing of the device. They’re also power hogs, which means that using your new iPhone on a 4G LTE network will drain your battery a lot faster. Battery life has been one of the chief complaints about the iPhone for years now, with the iPhone 4S being one of the poorest of the bunch in this area. Apple can’t afford to increase the new iPhone’s power consumption and leave the battery as is. And since fuel cells for mobile phones haven’t really caught on, that means making the battery bigger. Extra components plus a bigger battery to power them means that the iPhone itself needs to grow.

With reports of the iPhone’s growth spurt coming from increasingly reputable sources, it’s looking like a sure thing at this point. Nevertheless, we’ve still got a few months to wait until we know for sure. In the meanwhile, there are sure to be some interesting things coming at WWDC 2012, and more information about the next iPhone is bound to keep leaking out. We’ll keep you posted as more information becomes available.

iPhone 5 Rumor: Steve Jobs Heavily Involved In Redesign

New iPhone was among Jobs's last projects at Apple

Reports of an iPhone redesign continue to roll in. On Wednesday we received word that sources had confirmed to the Wall Street Journal that the iPhone will be getting a 4-inch display, to be manufactured by LG, Sharp, and Japan Display. The next day Reuters, not to be outdone, confirmed the rumors as well.

Today, Bloomberg is adding its own confirmation of the redesign rumors – including the 4-inch display. According to “three people with knowledge of the plans,” the iPhone is getting an “overhaul,” including the 4-inch display. These sources also add something new: it seems that the next iPhone was one of the last projects on which Steve Jobs worked before he died last October. According to the sources, Jobs “worked closely” on the redesign, and “played a key role in developing the phone.”

Bloomberg’s sources also seem to confirm a rumor that we brought you way back in November, that the redesigned iPhone existed (at least in prototype form) before the iPhone 4S launched. The rumor at the time was that this redesigned phone was intended to launch instead of the iPhone 4S, but that Jobs scrapped the plans at the last minute. While Bloomberg’s sources do not confirm that last bit, they do say that Jobs was working on the new iPhone well before the old iPhone launched.

Now, those of you keeping track may have noticed something: in the past three days we have seen separate stories by three reputable news agencies all citing inside sources and confirming the same rumor. While it is possible that the Wall Street Journal, Reuters, and Bloomberg are all getting bad information and the next iPhone won’t be getting a bigger display, that’s unlikely. In fact, this smells an awful lot like a calculated leak. That is, Apple wants the press to know that the iPhone is getting redesigned with a bigger display, but can’t actually announce anything until the actual unveiling (which is likely still almost 5 months away).

That being the case, I think we can probably start treating the 4-inch display rumor as a given. While anything could still happen – after all, nothing is official until Tim Cook gets up on stage and says it is – it looks like Apple really is finally ditching the good old 3.5-inch display in favor of a bigger phone. What else might be coming along with the redesign is still very much in the air, though, and for that we’ll likely have to wait until October.

iPhone 5 Rumor: Apple’s iPhone 4S Orders Begin To Taper Off Ahead Of Launch

Apple reducing orders of the current iPhone as iPhone 5 launch nears

With the launch of the iPhone 5 (or iPhone 6, or, most likely, “new iPhone”) getting ever closer, Apple appears to be reducing its orders of the current generation iPhone 4S. The reduction is not large yet, as the launch is still about five months away (probably), and Apple can still sell an awful lot of the iPhone 4S in that time.

According to Shaw Wu of Sterne Agee, though, Apple’s orders of the iPhone 4S have dropped to around 27 million for the current quarter. Wu speculates that the reduction in orders is not being driven by a reduction in demand. Rather Apple is preparing itself for the sharp dip in demand that is likely to occur in the month or so prior to the launch of the next iPhone in October (or maybe September).

Wu also said that he expects Apple’s reduction in iPhone orders to cause Apple to miss Wall Street estimates unless analysts revise their expectations. Apple missed expectations in the September quarter of last year due to a similar reduction in iPhone shipments prior to the launch of the iPhone 4S. On the flip side, Wu also said that he expects shipments of the new iPad to meet or exceed Wall Street estimates, which may alleviate some of the problems caused if iPhone shipments do not meet expectations.

While Apple tends not to comment on things like how many iPhones they’re ordering or selling (at least until their earnings call), and it’s difficult to know whether Wu’s estimation is correct, a move like this does make sense. Apple sold 35.1 million iPhones last quarter, but that was still only the second quarter since the iPhone 4S launched. It stands to reason that the natural decline in iPhone sales, coupled with the anticipation of the next iPhone’s launch, would prompt Apple to reduce the number of phones it’s ordering over the next two quarters.

Apple iMac And MacBook Air To Get Retina Display

Reports suggest that all Apple's computers will be getting retina displays.

The 15-inch MacBook Pro might be getting a pretty significant refresh later this summer. The main features of this update were a thinner form factor, USB 3.0 technology, and, most notably, a retina display.

It turns out, though, that the MacBook Pro isn’t the only Mac getting in on the retina display action. After the news broke yesterday, ABC News heard from its own sources that the iMac would also be getting the retina display.

Not to be outdone, 9to5Mac, who broke the original story yesterday, did a little more source-mining, and learned that the MacBook Air will be getting a retina display, too. That, for those of you following along at home, means that all the major products in Apple’s Mac lineup – MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, and iMac – will be getting the same retina display treatment that the iPad got back in March.

Of course, there aren’t any real details yet, since Apple hasn’t actually announced anything. It’s not clear whether the retina display will be coming to all these computers in all their size variations, nor whether there will also be (cheaper) non-retina display models available, nor how much a retina display Mac will cost. Nevertheless, assuming these reports are accurate, then this year’s WWDC should offer quite a lot to look forward to.

Google Chrome Browser Coming To iPhone

      Chrome for iPhone could be popular, but faces an uphill battle.

Google has replied to a request for comment, and their answer is what you might expect. A Google spokesperson told WebProNews, “We do not comment on rumor or speculation, and have nothing new to share at this time.” Not terribly helpful, of course, but it isn’t surprising, either. Nevertheless, a Chrome browser for iOS is a logical move for Google, provided they can do it well, so don’t be too surprised if one pops up in the App Store sometime soon.

Google may be preparing to bring their Chrome browser to Apple’s iOS platform, according to a recent report. The browser would be an attempt by Google to get a bigger piece of the monetary pie for searches done on Apple’s devices.

According to Business Insider, analyst Ben Schacter of Macquarie suggests that Apple could already be in the process of reviewing Chrome for iOS, and the browser could hit the iOS App Store as soon as this quarter. Even if it doesn’t come this quarter, though, Schacter says we should expect it by the end of the year. By having their own iOS browser, Google could get back some of the millions of dollars it currently pays to Apple for its share of mobile search revenues generated by Google searches performed on iOS devices.

Google Chrome for iOS – assuming it’s actually coming – is Google’s follow-up to the popular Chrome for Android, which launched back in February. The two mobile versions are in turn an attempt to duplicate the wild success of the desktop version of Google’s Chrome browser, which is the second most popular browser in the world (following the ubiquitous Internet Explorer).

To match the success of its desktop and Android cousins, however, Chrome for iOS will face a major uphill battle. Unlike desktop operating systems and Android, the iOS platform does not allow users to change their device’s default browser. That means that no matter what you do, Safari is the default browser on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch. There are third party browsers in the App Store, and some of them are relatively popular, but they all face a distinct disadvantage.

Of course, as BI points out, Microsoft’s Internet Explorer was in a similar situation in the 1990s, and the U.S. government conducted an antitrust lawsuit to put a stop to it. At the moment it doesn’t seem likely that Apple will face the same kind of government action, but if it does, it would pave the way for Chrome, or even for an iOS version of Firefox, to gain a much larger share of the mobile browsing market.

iOS 6 Starts Showing Up In App Usage Data

                   Apple apparently beginning internal testing of the next version of iOS.

With WWDC 2012 right around the corner, more details about iOS 6, which is likely to be unveiled at the conference, are starting to emerge. At the same time, it appears that iOS app developers are starting to see iOS 6 in the usage data for their apps, which suggests that Apple has reached an active testing phase with the software.

In data obtained by 9to5Mac, at least one developer has found iOS 6 in the analytics data for an app. The usage is still pretty minimal – only a few hits came from iOS 6 devices – but the data gives a bit of a hint as to where iOS 6 is in development. Check out the usage data below (click to enlarge):

It’s also looking more and more like iOS 6 won’t be the only goody Apple will show off at the conference. In addition to OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion and possible updates to iCloud, it also appears likely that we’ll be seeing upgrades to the MacBook Pro, iMac and MacBook Air.

Given that Apple is testing iOS 6 internally with App Store apps, as this data suggests, the odds are extremely good that Apple will unveil the software at WWDC 2012. It’s possible that a release of the software could come within a couple months, however it’s most likely that iOS 6 will release with the next iPhone, which will probably be coming in October.

Apple Wins Control Of iPhone5.com Domain

                                   Apple seizes, blanks iPhone 5 message board.

You may recall a couple weeks ago when we brought you news that Apple had taken steps to seize iPhone5.com. The company had filed a complaint with the World Intellectual Property Organization, claiming ownership of the term “iPhone 5,” and therefore demanding that the domain be handed over.

Now, The Next Web is reporting that the WIPO sided with Apple. The domain has been seized and handed over to Corporation Service Company, a company that specializes in brand protection and is apparently in the employ of Apple. The WIPO posted the following summary of the decision:

Since shortly after the launch of the iPhone 4 in 2010, the site has played host to a sparsely populated message board devoted to news and rumors about the iPhone 5. The news that Apple was going after their domain caused quite a stir on the little site, with a surprising number of users agreeing that Apple had the right to own it.

If you visit the site now, all you see is this:

There’s no word on what (if anything) Apple intends to do with the site. They could set it up to redirect to their iPhone site, but that’s unlikely, since the next iPhone will almost certainly not be called the iPhone 5. Instead, they’ll probably leave it blank. A request for comment has not yet received a reply.

iPhone 5 Rumor: Four Inch Screen Confirmed

Apple reportedly in talks with LG and Sharp to supply screens.

One of the most tenacious rumors surrounding the iPhone 5 (or, more likely, “new iPhone”) has concerned its screen size. Apple has held doggedly to the original 3.5-inch screen through five generations of iPhone, beginning with the very first one in 2007. With the launch of the Android platform in 2008, smart phones began to get larger screens. The Samsung Galaxy Nexus, launched last year, has a 4.65-inch screen, while the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S III has a 4.8-inch display.

Yet as Android screens have gotten bigger, the iPhone’s screen has stayed the same. That, however, may be about to change. The Wall Street Journal is reporting today that the next iPhone will in fact be getting a screen that is at least 4 inches on the diagonal. Citing “people familiar with the situation,” the report says that Apple is currently in the contact with several display manufacturers, including LG, Sharp, and the newly-formed Japan Display, Inc. Notably absent from the list is Samsung, which supplies the displays for the current iPhone and iPad.

As noted above, rumors of a larger screen iPhone have been around for years. As soon as the first Android phones debuted with screens larger than the iPhone’s, people began to speculate that Apple would follow suit. Apple, however, has consistently refrained from following the latest trends in a market it effectively created. Nor was that decision arbitrary. When asked, Apple has often pointed out that given the size of the average human hand, 3.5 inches is about as large as a screen can get and still allow the user to operate the phone one-handed.

Nevertheless, a larger screen has been the major focus of the rumor cycle concerning the upcoming iPhone. Reports from multiple – and increasingly reputable – sources have seemed to confirm the increase in the iPhone’s size. One of the first rumors (this time around) came from a South Korean newspaper that listed LG as one of the possible suppliers for a 4.6-inch iPhone screen. Since then an industry analyst has said that Apple would be increasing the iPhone’s size to 4 inches. Another report earlier this month iLounge seemed to confirm the 4-inch size.

Now with the Wall Street Journal adding its voice to the mix, it’s starting to look like we really will be seeing a 4-inch (possibly larger, but probably not) iPhone when Tim Cook takes the stage in October (probably). Of course, nothing is confirmed yet. Apple could well stick with the 3.5-inch screen for the sixth time in a row. As always with Apple, nothing is certain until Apple actually says it.

iPhone 5 Rumor: Leaked Components Hint At Redesign

Leak apparently confirms smaller dock connector for the new iPhone. 

The iPhone 5 rumor mill got something new to chew on as images of supposed new components for the next iPhone surfaced over the weekend. Unlike the slightly redesigned iPhone home buttons that leaked a few weeks ago, this new component (assuming it’s genuine) provides solid evidence that the next iPhone will be getting a significant redesign.

The new components were discovered by CydiaBlog and are being sold by SW-Box, a Hong Kong-based website that deals in components for electronic devices. According to the listing, the component is the headphone jack, ear speaker, and wifi antenna for the new iPhone. The folks at iMore, however, disagree: they believe that the component is actually the dock connector, speaker, and cellular antenna for the new iPhone. Looking closely at the picture, it looks like they’re right.

This is important because the dock connector in the image is considerably smaller than the 30-pin dock connector that has been in all iOS devices since the original iPhone, and was on several models of iPod before that. One of the most consistent and reliable rumors about the iPhone 5 (or iPhone 6, or, most likely, “new iPhone”) has been that it would be getting a smaller dock connector, a move that would allow Apple to free up a little extra space inside the iPhone for other components. That rumor first surfaced back in February, and was apparently confirmed by a second report earlier this month. If Apple really is shrinking the dock connector, it suggests that the new iPhone will indeed be getting a significant external redesign. Of course, the iPhone was due for a makeover, what with the iPhone 4S being externally identical to the iPhone 4. Leaks like this, though, confirm that that’s actually happening. That raises the question, though, of what other aspects of the phone will be redesigned. Could we see the long-rumored increase to screen size? What else might Apple change? Unfortunately, the odds are that we’ll have another 4-5 months of waiting to do before we find out for sure.