iPhone Hardware

Sources have told BGR the iPhone 5 will indeed be a complete redesign, with an appearance much like the form factor of the iPad 2. The front glass of the next generation iPhone will be connected to an all-aluminum back via a rubberized bezel. The mockup below illustrates what the aluminum iPhone might look like.

The bezel is said to be made of a similar material to the Apple Bumper cases. Not only would this bezel conceal a completely redesigned antenna system, it sounds like this would help make the iPhone 5 less slippery to hold. After all, the machined aluminum found on the iPad 2 is slick in more ways than one.

Sometimes the iPhone home button stops working properly. The iPhone operating system is heavily dependent on the home button for several features and functions, and when it ceases to be responsive this can really slow you down. There are several reasons why the home button might not register a press, these can be both hardware and software issues.

The most common problems with the iPhone home button are when pressing the button does nothing, or a double-click only registers a single click. Delays can also happen between presses and action. Luckily there is a quick fix that will calibrate your iPhone home button you can try first. This trick can fix an unresponsive home button thanks to a software reset. To reset a sluggish home button perform the following steps on your device:

Now that iOS 5.1 beta has been seeded to developers, new iPhone 5 hardware has been confirmed with a reference in the source code. iPhone5,1 refers to the next generation device, and by Apple's naming conventions points to a completely new design in the works. Other new device references including a possible Sprint iPad 2 (iPad2,4) and the iPad 3 have also been discovered.

Reports have indicated the iPhone 5 will feature a larger screen and a faster A6 processor. The concept above from ADR Studio shows a slimmer iPhone 5 with an aluminum back and edge to edge display.

Most of the hype surrounding the iPhone 5 display has been centered on its size, with industry observers predicting that Apple will increase the next generation display to 4 inches. New information points to an even more intriguing possibility, that the iPhone 5 will feature Sharp's IGZO display technology in a cutting-edge mobile touchscreen.

The diagram above from Semiconductor Portal illustrates the advantage of IGZO transistors. These indium, gallium, and zinc (IGZO) transistors replace standard amorphous silicon thin-film transistors in the Sharp components, which provide higher electron mobility. This means display pixels can be smaller and more light passes through the IGZO display.

The iPhone 4 has yet to officially launch in Brazil, but photos have already leaked of a locally-made 8 GB iPhone 4 hot off the assembly line. Foxconn has long been rumored to be starting production on the iPhone and iPad at a new factory in Brazil. Photos leaked on Brazilian site MacMagazine show an iPhone 4 with a unique model number and markings.

Also seen on the back of the iPhone is "Indústria Brasileira" instead of the typically seen "Assembled in China" tagline. Below this is the stamp of approval from the official Brazilian communications agency ANATEL. The version of iOS 5 installed on the iPhone describes the model number as "MD198BR" with the BR indicating Brazil.