Images of alleged next-gen iPhone components surface

Speaker components for next-generation iPhones?

(Credit: Nowhereelse.fr)

As we inch closer to the expected launch of much-rumored next-generation iPhones from Apple, images of alleged parts for them have materialized.

French blog Nowhereelse.fr, which has posted images of legitimate parts for unreleased iPhones in the past, has published images of what it says are speaker components for two future iPhone models. The images, supposedly snapped by someone employed by the company that manufactured the parts for Apple, are purportedly components for what the blog calls the iPhone 5S and iPhone 6.

The photographer allegedly told the blog that the first model would be released between March and July of this year and the second closer to the end of the year. It's worth noting that the target time frame for release of the first device, which wasn't identified, is a hefty five months.

CNET has contacted Apple for comment and will update this report when we learn more.

The launch of the next generation of iPhones is always the topic of much speculation, and many believe the next will be a minor upgrade, in the tradition of the iPhone 4S, with more internal improvements than attention-grabbing design ones.

At least one analyst expects Apple to release an iPhone 5S and revamped, lower-priced iPhone 5 this summer. KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said in an investors note earlier this month that iPhone 5S would be similar to the current model but offer a few improvements, including an A7 chip for faster performance and a fingerprint sensor.

The revamped iPhone 5 would be a lower-cost version of the current model in a somewhat thicker case made of plastic and offer a choice of six colors. The analyst estimates the phone would sell for an off-contract, or unlocked, price of $350 to $450.

Nowhereelse posted images last month of what it claimed depicted the next iPhone. The pictures showed an exterior that looked identical to the iPhone 5, but a look inside showed different placement for the screws and some minor differences from the iPhone 5.

(Via 9to5Mac)