iPhone 5

Good news for those looking to buy replacement parts for a non-existent iPhone. The home button for the next generation iOS device is here, and it will cost you five bucks. The parts come to us direct from Shenzhen, China's TVC-Mall. The home button comes in white or black.

The only difference between the next generation iPhone home button and the iPhone 4S part is a wider recessed base around the outside of the central button. The current part has two tabs sticking out of the sides, instead of a rectangular base around the entire edge.

ETNews.com doesn't have a perfect track record when it comes to Apple predictions, but they have dusted off a previous iPhone 5 rumor started by the Business Insider in November of last year. According to the Korean publication, Apple is using “liquid metal” technology to build their next-generation iPhone. Apple acquired this technology from Liquidmetal Technologies’ in August of 2010.

"According to industry sources, the next flagship phones of the companies are expected to adopt unprecedented materials for their main bodies, that is, ceramic for the Galaxy S3 and liquid metal for iPhone 5, both being thin, light and highly resistant to external impacts. The new phase of the rivalry is because neither one of them can get a decisive edge over the other solely with its OS and AP specifications, features or design."

Are you ready for another six months of iPhone 5 rumors? You better be, because the Apple rumor mill is fired up and going full force today! According to 9to5Mac, "Apple has internally seeded a prototype next-generation iPhone with the iPhone 4 design." The new prototype labeled "N96" is being used to test a variation of the A5X chip that powers the new iPad in an iPhone.

Topeka Capital Markets analyst Brian White (via AppleInsider) came back from a recent trip to Asia with more "new design" rumors. White told investors that the next-generation iPhone "will be the most significant iPhone upgrade with a four-inch screen and a new, sleek look" that he believes will require a "unibody case." 9toMac also noted in their report that the "actual next-generation iPhone is specifically said to not include the iPhone 4/4S design." However, Apple is using older casings to test the N96 prototype to avoid leaks of the new device. The new iPhone prototype is also supposed to feature 1GB of RAM.

The Japanese website Macotakara (translated) reported that Foxconn has recruited more than 18,000 people to begin production on the iPhone 5. In March, the China Morning News (translated) also reported that Foxconn was in need of approximately 20,000 workers to help produce the next generation iPhone.

Macotakara said a Foxconn personnel recruiter told TV Tokyo’s World Business Satellite that Foxconn is preparing to produce Apple's next generation device which will be ready in June. This lines up with a previous iLounge report that claimed the iPhone 5 would receive a summer launch. However, it contradicts a previous iMore rumor that claims the new device will be launched this fall. I would take all these early release date rumors with a grain of salt since no one has accurately predicted anything about the iPhone 5.

According to the Japanese website Macotakara, Apple is developing a mysterious 5-inch Retina display device for 2013. There have been many reports about Apple releasing a 7.85-inch iPad mini, or even increasing the screen size of the iPhone this year, but this is the first time we've heard anything about a 5-inch device.

The Japanese blog , citing “reliable Chinese sources", said "Apple LCD is developing a 5-inch Retina display with a screen resolution of either 1,600-by-960 pixels or 1,280-by-960 pixels." It's unknown if the device is a tablet, phone, or combination of both like the Samsung Galaxy Note.