iPhone 5 Rumor Tips 4-Inch Screen, New Form Factor

The holidays are over, CES has concluded, and Apple has revealed its blockbuster earnings. What's next? Why, the latest iPhone rumor, of course. The iPhone 4S is barely in users' hands, but there are already reports of the fabled iPhone 5 finally becoming a reality.

According to 9to5Mac, "reliable sources" at Foxconn tell the blog that workers are gearing up to start production on the iPhone 5. At this point, however, there are several models floating around, so it remains to be seen what the final version will entail, but they all include a few similar features.

Screen size, for example, has been bumped up from 3.5 inches to 4+ inches, 9to5Mac said, and LG is making at least one of those screens. The form factor differs from the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S, but do not include the rumored teardrop shape.

9to5Mac speculated that the timing on the iPhone production suggests that Apple will return to its previous early summer iPhone launch schedule. The iPhone 4S made its debut in October; production didn't start until the spring.
During an earnings call yesterday, Apple said it sold 37.04 million iPhones during the fourth quarter, and CEO Tim Cook said the 4S was the most popular version.

The Apple chief said people are still buying its new smartphone. "Customers are absolutely loving this product," Cook said of the iPhone 4S. "We made a very bold bet entering the quarter as to what the demand would be. And as it turns out, despite it being a very bold bet, we were short of supply throughout the quarter and did end with a significant backlog." "That situation has improved some since the end of the quarter, but we still are short in some key geographies currently," he concluded.