iPhone 5

Thanks to Patently Apple, we recently saw how Apple could be planning a smart bezel on the iPad. Now it seems Apple engineers are also working on a similar concept for a future model iPhone. The iPhone smart bezel patent revealed by Patently Apple details some interesting features that could be added to the area surrounding the main display.

The smart bezel is described as an area outside of the main LCD screen comprising printed segmented electroluminescence displays. Presumably these would be dark until needed, and could be illuminated in different patterns to create buttons or give the user information depending on what the iPhone was being used for at the moment. This would free up more space on the main screen.

Two interesting new rumors have surfaced surrounding future iPhone camera designs. The first involves a leak from Sony regarding an 8 megapixel camera the company manufactures that sounds like it's headed for the iPhone 5. 9to5 Mac reports Sony CEO Howard Stringer explained how their best image sensors are produced at a factory that was affected by the earthquake in Japan.

He noted that this problem will delay shipment of images sensors to companies like Apple. The only thing is that Sony doesn't make image sensors for Apple... yet. The Street reported in April of last year that Apple would be moving away from current supplier OmniVision for the iPhone 5, and going with an 8 megapixel Sony component instead.

AppleInsider predicts that Apple could wait until October or later to release the fifth-generation iPhone. Apparently the company has not ordered any parts for the iPhone 5 yet, making a summer launch unlikely. According to the report, the iPhone 5 will launch during the first half of Apple's 2012 fiscal year, which starts at the end of September.

Putting off the iPhone 5 until after the holiday retail season could cost Apple sales during a season when consumers are typically anxious to spend money on new gadgets. Rumors of a September iPhone 5 launch surfaced previously, however the iPad 2 did not get released over the summer as some had anticipated.

China Times reports that the iPhone 5 has entered a trial production phase and will feature a larger screen. Purported iPhone 5 parts have already leaked that seem to match the claim of a four-inch screen. The iPhone 5 itself is expected to have a similar form factor as the current model, with the display reaching all the way to the edge of the device.

The rendering above by Piotrek Photos shows how a larger iPhone 5 screen might compare to the current iPhone 4 display. This news comes as the New York Times has confirmed Apple is working on near-field communication (NFC) technology so that future iPhones can easily make wireless mobile payments at specially equipped cash registers. The NFC hardware would be integrated with the iPhone processor and linked directly to the owner's iTunes account.

iDealsChina has released more iPhone 5 images depicting a larger display on the next generation device. They claim the renderings are mold engineering drawings intended for case manufacturers that detail the design of the iPhone 5. Pictured below, these computer renderings show what looks to be essentially the iPhone 4 profile with a larger screen.

The display comes right up to the edge of the device, whereas with current iPhone 4 models there's a black gap between the screen and silver antenna frame. Reports have speculated that Apple intends to compete with several Android devices recently launched with 4-inch displays. The purported leaked images seem to match photos of a iPhone 5 bezel also showing a larger screen opening.