Closeup Photos Show Clear Difference in Thickness Between iPhone 5 and 4S

Parts and repair firm iResQ has been slowly building its own iPhone 5 as parts have been coming in, as shown in yesterday's photos revealing the battery installed into the rear shell alongside several other components such as the dock connector/headphone jack flex cable, external buttons flex cable, and the rear camera assembly.

iresq iphone5 4s front comparison
iResQ has now added a front panel to the mix, providing a good overall look at the iPhone 5 with several closeup photos. The assembly is of course non-functional, as it is missing the logic board and several other components, but nearly all of the externally-visible features are in place.

iresq iphone 5 4s side comparison
Perhaps most notable is one closeup side-on shot showing the iPhone 5 laying next to an iPhone 4S on a table. The photo shows that the iPhone 5 is indeed substantially thinner than the iPhone 4S, by approximately the thickness of either the front or rear glass of the iPhone 4S. Apple's move toward thinner body components and a thinner distribution of internal components enabled by the larger surface area due to the 4-inch screen of the iPhone 5 have allowed the company to substantially shrink the device's overall thickness. Previous reports have pegged the iPhone 5 thickness at 7.6 mm, 18% thinner than the iPhone 4S at 9.3 mm.

iresq iphone 5 4s bottom comparison
Apple is expected to introduce the iPhone 5 at its media event scheduled for next Wednesday, September 12.

Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

wwdc sans text feature

Apple Rumored to Announce New Product on February 19

Thursday February 5, 2026 12:22 pm PST by
Apple plans to announce the iPhone 17e on Thursday, February 19, according to Macwelt, the German equivalent of Macworld. The report, citing industry sources, is available in English on Macworld. Apple announced the iPhone 16e on Wednesday, February 19 last year, so the iPhone 17e would be unveiled exactly one year later if this rumor is accurate. It is quite uncommon for Apple to unveil...
Apple Logo Zoomed

Tim Cook Teases Plans for Apple's Upcoming 50th Anniversary

Thursday February 5, 2026 12:54 pm PST by
Apple turns 50 this year, and its CEO Tim Cook has promised to celebrate the milestone. The big day falls on April 1, 2026. "I've been unusually reflective lately about Apple because we have been working on what do we do to mark this moment," Cook told employees today, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. "When you really stop and pause and think about the last 50 years, it makes your heart ...
Finder Siri Feature

Why Apple's iOS 26.4 Siri Upgrade Will Be Bigger Than Originally Promised

Friday February 6, 2026 3:06 pm PST by
In the iOS 26.4 update that's coming this spring, Apple will introduce a new version of Siri that's going to overhaul how we interact with the personal assistant and what it's able to do. The iOS 26.4 version of Siri won't work like ChatGPT or Claude, but it will rely on large language models (LLMs) and has been updated from the ground up. Upgraded Architecture The next-generation...
maxresdefault

Apple Shows Off a Key Reason to Upgrade to the iPhone 17

Saturday February 7, 2026 9:26 am PST by
Apple today shared an ad that shows how the upgraded Center Stage front camera on the latest iPhones improves the process of taking a group selfie. "Watch how the new front facing camera on iPhone 17 Pro takes group selfies that automatically expand and rotate as more people come into frame," says Apple. While the ad is focused on the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, the regular iPhone...
iOS 26

iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Tuesday February 3, 2026 7:47 am PST by
While the iOS 26.3 Release Candidate is now available ahead of a public release, the first iOS 26.4 beta is likely still at least a week away. Following beta testing, iOS 26.4 will likely be released to the general public in March or April. Below, we have recapped known or rumored iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 features so far. iOS 26.3 iPhone to Android Transfer Tool iOS 26.3 makes it easier...

Top Rated Comments

FrizzleFryBen Avatar
175 months ago
I like that the edges of the glass is less exposed to hits when dropped.
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
macrumorsuser10 Avatar
175 months ago
Is it me, or have there been more leaks and mockups for this iPhone than for any previous models in years past?
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
fenderbass146 Avatar
175 months ago
i hate the home button

? so you hated every iphone in the past home button too?
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TylerL Avatar
175 months ago
I can reduce the thickness of my iPhone 4 to that of the iPhone 5 by simply removing the back panel :/
There's barely any structure added by the back panel in the first place. I'm sure the iPhone 5 has Something Neat about its new construction, but the difference in thickness doesn't really seem all that impressive.

Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Macboy Pro Avatar
175 months ago
Its thinner, but I still don't understand the 4" tall screen.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Reaktor5 Avatar
175 months ago
The last few months have been one giant christmas eve night of finding your presents early.

I hope Apple still has a few hidden presents in iOS so the surprise isn't completely ruined.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)