In December 2012, Apple already had a prototype iPhone 5 ready. The most striking thing is that it was a slate colored model, the same as the newly launched black and graphite iPhone 5. Thanks to Twitter user Dongle, we were able to see this prototype in a color that would not see the light the following year.
IPhone 5s in black and graphite nearly a year before launch
IPhone 5s debuted in September 2013. Its most prominent new features were Touch ID to unlock the terminal safely and quickly, the 64-bit A7 processor which caused panic in the industry and slow motion. The only changes that made it stand out with the naked eye were the Touch ID button, rear dual flash, and space gray color.
IPhone 5s prototype
This device features a slate gray iPhone 5 style casing (likely to try to disguise the device) with many differences from production (matte top and bottom)
Additionally, it was made in December 2012, months after the 5 pic.twitter.com/qmKBxCuih7
– Electronic key (@DongleBookPro) January 17, 2021
It is precisely this last which reveals to us that we are before a prototype that has never arrived on the market. While the iPhone 5 had this graphite or slate color, the iPhone 5s debuted in a space gray that was maintained for several generations. In addition, this model has a matt black upper and lower rear.
The author of Tweeter states that this prototype was manufactured in December 2012, shortly after the commercial launch of the iPhone 5. It is interesting to see how Apple already had the next generation practically ready just a few months after the launch of the previous oner. The company closes the design of a new terminal about 9 to 12 months in advance, which we already knew when Face ID was created.
So we can rule out the supposed last minute changes that emerge in the chain of rumors as the release date approaches. ATpple finalizes the design of its iPhone long before they reach the user. And this prototype is a sample.
