iPhone 5 Rumor: Part Leak Confirms Taller Screen

iPod Touch apparently getting in on the big screen action.

This morning we brought you the latest in a string of rumors about the screen size of the upcoming iPhone 5 (or, as it will probably be called, “the new iPhone”). According to the report, the next iPhone would be getting a screen that was 3.95 inches long on the diagonal, with pixel dimensions of 640×1136, which is the same width as the current iPhone, but a 176 pixels taller. That would bring the iPhone’s display to within thousandths of an inch of the 16:9 aspect ratio of most modern widescreen movies.

Another new piece of information that’s come to light today, though, suggests that the 3.95-inch display may not be accurate. Earlier this afternoon MacRumors posted pictures of what appears to be the front panel of the next iPod Touch. Assuming the display dimensions remain consistent across the two devices (as they have for five previous generations), then these images confirm that both the iPhone and iPod Touch will be getting larger screens. What’s interesting, though, is that the screen area on these panels doesn’t measure 3.95 inches. They measure 4.1 inches on the diagonal. While that’s not a huge difference, it is a difference. The plot, as they say, thickens. Check out the images for yourself below:

t’s hard to be sure from the images, but it looks like the panel itself isn’t all that much bigger than the older version. It looks like the top and bottom borders of the panel are simply smaller. That could mean that the iPod Touch (and the new iPhone) won’t be getting much of an overall size increase, if any.

Meanwhile, the front panel isn’t the only part that has leaked. BadGizmo seems to have gotten their hands on some iPhone parts as well. In addition to the iPod Touch front panel and the home button, there are also images of what appear to be the front and rear camera:

This isn’t the first time that we’ve seen components of the next iPhone (assuming they’re genuine) leak. Last week we brought you news that the dock connector, speaker, and cellular antenna had also been leaked, confirming rumors of a smaller dock connector for the new iPhone.

Put it all together, and, assuming all these component leaks are genuine, you’ve got pretty strong indications that the new iPhone will be getting a major redesign that includes a bigger screen. Just how much bigger that screen will be, though, is still very much up for debate.