I like the design, color and texture on the back. Also I think the centered front-facing camera is elegant. However my excitement over new iPhone releases has been steadily declining.

The iPhone 3G was my first device. The difference between that and my crappy flip-phone was enormous. I basically ignored the 3GS because my 3G was fast enough. My anticipation for new iPhone models peaked with the release of the iPhone 4. The retina display and increased speed over the 3G was quite nice. But it wasn't the same as going from cheap phone to 3G.

I'm currently using a 4S. Honestly I can't tell the difference between this device and my 4 except for the home button that actually works every time it's pressed. I've never used siri for anything other than novelty questions. And the count of those is about ten in six months.

My iPhone 4 runs noticeably more sluggishly than my 4S on the latest versions of iOS. I think you'd be pretty annoyed moving from the 4S to the 4.

I think the nicest things about the next iPhone will be the larger screen and LTE. I'll probably be sticking with the Galaxy Nexus for personal use though.

I think you're right that actually moving back to the 4 would seem sluggish at first. What I find interesting is how the small delta between the 4 and 4S doesn't make me question moving back too much. The larger delta between the 3G and 4S makes it really clear there's no way I'd move back to the 3G. So the deltas (for me at least) are shrinking with each release.

I have a 3GS, and let me tell you: there are times when I am typing 5-6 characters ahead of the display. The camera freezes all the time. It looks like the new iOS is not designed for the 3GS and older versions. Things will only get worse once the 5 comes out, I imagine.

My wife has a 4 and I have a 4s. Sometimes we'll both be looking up the same thing (like an address) and my phone will be done much faster than hers. So while it is hard to tell the speed difference independently, side by side it is quite obvious.

This is certainty fake (in my expert opinion). At least the turn on bit of it. Otherwise seems a dummy shell/mockup.

I almost downvoted this until I read who you were. I upvoted it instead :) What signs make you think it is fake?

There generally isn't one thing, but more a gestalt. But relatively easy to fake, the nonchalant - oh it works too - just tagged on at end, coming from just a guy on youtube. It also shows nothing specific. (others noted that iOS doesn't even require the connect to iTunes anymore) We see a lot of these fakes before every Apple event.

The turn-on part is a simulated screen image. It's CG

Definitely, as other comments have indicated the perspective seems slightly off and the whole display as a slightly unreal quality to it. And since iOS 5 there hasn't been a requirement to connect to iTunes.

I'm trying to figure out when I fell out of love with SmartPhones. They were really exciting back in 2007-2009 when things were progressing so quickly but now almost any of them are 'good enough' and basically do all the same things more or less the same way. The hype around these products doesn't quite match their actual important anymore in my opinion.

They are over-hyped for sure, but I am curious about your take on computers, and their upgrade cycles.

Only available in 360p? Has to be fake to cover up the dodgy video editing when the phone is turned on.

Smartphones have become a commodity in the developed world. Do we really need constant updates about the latest leaks and rumors?

Some people are passionate about design, as evidenced by the apple RDF and the number of upvotes. There's nothing wrong with that.

>Smartphones have become a commodity in the developed world.

Whereas startups are rare?

Not rare, but not interchangeable. Commodity suggests that there isn't much qualitative differentiation across a market, which is more or less true at this point.

The difference between phone rumors discussed here are pixels, megapixels, centimeters maybe.

The differences between start-ups discussed here are the sun and the moon!

I'm surprised nobody pointed out the three UX changes that appear to be the least Apple-like:

1) The white notification light located off-center on the home button looks like the biggest design flaw demonstrated in this video.

2) The phone's dimensions are no longer visually pleasing (same width, much longer.)

3) The centered camera is easily covered with fingers while typing or playing a game in landscape mode.

I agree with comments that the video is poor resolution, the build quality is pretty poor, and the phone boot-up sequence could have easily been added in post-production.

Regardless of it being fake (the bootup likely is), the rest of it will almost certainly be present. There's also no notification light, you're seeing a reflection.

What's it matter if the front camera is hidden while not being used? Though I imagine it's less likely to be hidden when in the center than when on the bottom left (if used in landscape).

For #2, we had this video made to show such a screen "in action"

http://www.macrumors.com/2012/08/31/video-demo-of-what-a-4-i...

I call fake. There's something weird about the perspective of the Apple logo and "Connect to iTunes" screens.

The weird thing I thought is that Apple made a big push to allow you to set up a device without iTunes. When I got my 4S, I walked out the store with it working.

Well it doesn't look like they're doing a great job at the whole increased secrecy thing...

I'm glad they made the back all black. Hopefully I like the new screen size. That is the only thing I am worried about.

I wonder if the device will start showing up in the logs of mobile sites?

It already is. Not sure if it's the one in the video tho

http://www.marco.org/2012/08/30/ipad-mini-internals

How can he charge it without a dock connector cable?

Perhaps it was charged when he got it. He's probably not turning it on too frequently since the only feature is showing the "connect to iTunes" prompt.

iOS doesn't have connect to iTunes any more.

I imagine this unit is fake, but it's not out of the question for a development prototype to have different requirements. Hooking into iTunes for authorization is something that makes some sense, especially after the one that got left in a bar.

If this is the case then why didn't his phone go to the homescreen after turning on?

Because its fake

I can see that it could be fake but why would someone go through the effort of building a fake prototype three weeks before the official release? It would cost him a good amount of time and money and with no ads on his video, he gains would be even less. Couldn't it be he actually received one of the Apple designer's rejected prototype?

The physical object is real (but non functional), and relatively cheaply obtained apparently.[1] The fake part is placing the image on the screen making it look like it works.

Why? People love posting fake apple stuff to fool people.

1. http://micgadget.com/29451/fully-assembled-iphone-5-mockups-...

Wow, din't know there was a market that sells these kinds of mockups. Thought the guy built it using a 3d printer or some. Thank you for the link. It does look awfully similar to the Mockup #01 from that page.

Maybe he is a hacker.

Apple is really slipping in terms of leaks prior to their major product releases. We have had major leaks before but this is getting ridiculous.

Assuming, of course, that Apple isn't just deliberately leaking a bunch of bullshit to mask the inevitable real ones.

A micro SD card? This is either fake or Apple is changing their philosophy quite a bit. If they thought people deserve SD cards, they could have integrated them a long time ago.

I would appreciate an SD card but I doubt Apple wants to give up the incentive to buy the most expensive version with the largest memory.

What makes you think it has a SD card slot?

He said mini SIM, not micro SD.

Thanks for correcting me!