MacRumors reader Michael Rou has managed to get his hands on both a pre-production iPhone 5 case and a pre-production iPad mini case and posted comparison photos on Flickr. The cases were created by case manufacturers in anticipation of the upcoming models. Designs are based on leaked specs coming out of Foxconn factories.
The photo does a great job showing the relative sizes of the various devices. The largest case in the back shows the size of the current 3rd Generation iPad. That iPad houses a 9.7" diagonal display. The next smaller size case is for the rumored "iPad mini". The smaller iPad is believed to have a 7.85" screen with a smaller surrounding bezel while retaining the same aspect ratio and resolution (1024x768) of the iPad 2. Rou notes that the iPad mini headphone jack is positioned at the top of the case.
Finally, there is the rumored iPhone 5 case. The iPhone 5 is believed to have 4" diagonal screen. The iPhone 5 is expected to be taller but not wider than the current iPhone 4S which is also pictured above.
Apple is expected to launch the new iPhone on September 12th at a media event. The iPad mini is rumored to come at a later date, possibly in October.
Thursday February 5, 2026 12:22 pm PST by Joe Rossignol
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...
Saturday February 7, 2026 9:26 am PST by Joe Rossignol
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...
Thursday February 5, 2026 12:54 pm PST by Joe Rossignol
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 ...
Friday February 6, 2026 3:06 pm PST by Juli Clover
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...
Tuesday February 3, 2026 7:47 am PST by Joe Rossignol
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...
With the new Kindles, I question the wisdom of a non-Retina iPad mini. The larger version is Retina quality, and the smaller phone is Retina quality. Why not adopt it across your entire portable line. It would seem to make more sense.
"on some mockups" is the key phrase here. I remain unconvinced that Apple will try to cram the 3.5mm on the bottom, right next to the speaker grilles. Ironically, I was initially put off by original iPad's 3.5mm headphone jack on top, being used to iPod Touch's on the bottom. IDK, we'll see. Sooner or later, anyways :D
For a tablet, even a mini one, a bottom jack would be a mistake. Your lap or table goes there!
Now, for a pocket device (iPhone, iPod) a bottom jack is ideal! People who don’t see why just need to hold their device in their hand: which end is closer to your arm? The bottom end of course. Now put the phone in your pocket, and unless you awkwardly re-juggle your grip in the process, the bottom end is still the end closest to your arm—which means it’s facing up, towards the pocket opening. That’s where the ‘phones should plug in if you don’t want strain on the cable.
Plus when holding a pocket-sized device up, who wants extra cable dangling up and out and away from you? Wasted cable length, just to catch on stuff. The cable should come out of the device pointed where it’s going: toward you!
