While Apple fans are gearing up for the company’s purported Sept. 10 event, a new video showcases what may be the iPhone 5S’ new graphite back panel and the second-generation iPad Mini. The footage comes courtesy of iCrackUriDevice (also known as ICU), which claims to have obtained back shell components for both devices straight from China. The alleged graphite iPhone 5S rear part is shown alongside the Black & Slate iPhone 5, highlighting the clear difference in color.
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The iPhone 5S features the same glossy black coating on its top and bottom edges as the black and slate iPhone 5, but the 5S panel’s color is significantly lighter. The graphite iPhone’s rear also looks slightly darker than the white and silver iPhone 5, hinting that it could be a middle ground between the two currently available iPhone 5 colors.
While this is still far from a confirmation that the graphite iPhone 5S exists, it does add more credence to previous rumors. A photo of the new iPhone color option surfaced online earlier this week, but there was no way to verify that it wasn’t just a concept markup or design rendering. Even if the iPhone back panel shown in the video is an impostor, it still provides some hard evidence that the previous leaks are more than just concept art.
The rear casing for the alleged iPad Mini 2 appears to feature the same design structure as the current generation slate. The model shown in the video has a plastic coating across the top, which suggests that particular component has been made for a cellular version of the iPad Mini 2. There’s nothing particularly interesting about the tablet’s rear shell, seeing as the most prominent rumored feature of the next iPad Mini is its upgraded Retina Display touch screen.
Apple is expected to introduce its iPhone 5S alongside a less expensive device rumored to be called the iPhone 5C on Sept. 10. The iPhone 5S is said to be the true flagship successor to Apple’s iPhone 5 complete with an improved processor, 12-megapixel camera with dual flash and slow-motion mode and a fingerprint scanner.
The 5S is also rumored to launch in four color options, including the standard black and white choices along with the graphite and champagne gold models. The iPhone 5C, comparatively, will reportedly sport a plastic shell available in various colors similar to Apple’s iPod line and is expected to feature similar internal hardware as the iPhone 5.
