Apple is reportedly handing out next-gen iPhone testing units internally. The prototypes have a variation of the A5X processor that powers the new iPad and Apple is supposedly using pre-iPhone 4/4S-generation casings "to throw off leaks," according to 9to5Mac.
In a report published Monday, the Apple-watching blog said the rumored prototypes, code named N96 internally, were built specifically to test a new chip that is based on the A5X's S5L8945X architecture. The units are not likely to be actual prototypes of a next-generation iPhone that Apple will eventually sell, according to 9to5Mac.
The A5X processor used in Apple's latest iPad would probably be overkill for whatever the company has up its sleeve in terms of a new smartphone, the website pointed out, because the new iPad's chip was designed to drive the tablet's Retina display, "so that chip wouldn't make much sense in an iPhone."
The testing units described by unnamed sources carry 1GB of RAM, the site reported.
Apple is also working on an updated version of its iPod Touch for release sometime in 2012, according to 9to5Mac. The iPod Touch was the only iOS-based device not to receive a significant upgrade in 2011.
Meanwhile, Topeka Capital Markets analyst Brian White tipped a bigger screen and sleeker look for what he called "the iPhone 5" in a note to investors sent on Monday.
White said he gleaned insider information about Apple's next-gen iPhone during a recent tour in China and Taiwan, where he visited various tech suppliers. He believes the next iPhone will boast a larger, 4-inch screen (current models have a 3.5-inch screen) and high-speed 4G LTE connectivity.
The hype around the iPhone 5 is growing in Asia, he added, and people have started speculating about when the new phone will be launched. Some suppliers will likely begin producing components for the next iPhone in June — but don't get too excited for an early summer launch just yet. While believes the device won't launch until sometime in August or September.
He added that the iPhone 5 will be the most significant upgrade yet, leading to an "extraordinary" December quarter, "dwarfing" past iPhone launches.
Angela Moscaritolo contributed to this report.
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