More alleged iPhone 5S components surface, suggesting internal overhaul

iPhone 5S parts (BGR 005)

BGR, the tech blog with a mixed track record, is known for occasionally leaking credible information about Apple’s upcoming products. And with the next iPhone looming on the horizon, BGR has exclusively obtained high-quality parts photos believed to depict a number of internal components for the iPhone 5S.

From what we could glean from these shots, Apple’s handset could undergo a more substantial internal overhaul than previously thought. Go past the fold for full details…

The images obtained from a “source that asked not to be identified” reportedly picture the loud-speaker bracket, ear speaker bracket, vibrating motor assembly, Wi-Fi flex cable ribbon and SIM card tray from Apple’s upcoming seventh-generation iPhone.

iPhone 5S parts (BGR 006)
A tweaked iPhone 5S vibrating motor?

iPhone 5S parts (BGR 002)
This is apparently a redesigned ear speaker bracket.

The blog speculates that these seemingly redesigned internal components suggest that “Apple is indeed planning an internal overhaul to improve various iPhone features and likely to make room for new components as well.”

Now, watchers agree that Apple’s S-upgrade will include a speedier A7 chip, a higher-resolution camera with dual LED flash and improved night shooting and fingerprint scanning that makes use of Apple’s AuthenTec acquisition to get rid of passwords (per PayPal’s hopes).

iPhone 5S parts (BGR 005)
A new Wi-Fi flex cable ribbon.

If anything, BGR’s photos apparently verify the veracity of the circuitboard images recently obtained by Japanese retailer Moumantai and republished by the French blog Nowherelse.fr. For comparison, have a look at one of these right below.

iPhone 5S motherboard (Moumantai 002)

As opposed to the iPhone 5 circuitboard that has separate ribbons connecting the camera and flash modules, the above image shows a combined camera/flash component so perhaps Apple has optimized the design of the iPhone 5S camera assembly.

And here are alleged iPhone 5S Nano SIM trays that BGR claims are “thinner than the trays from the current-generation iPhone 5.”

iPhone 5S parts (BGR 008)

The trays match up nicely with last month’s tray leaks, also sourced from Moumantai (see below).

iPhone 5S SIM tray (image 002)

Now that these alleged iPhone 5S SIM trays have been confirmed by at least two sources, we can now speculate with a good degree of certainty that the next iPhone will in fact be colorized, which is what analysts and supply chain sources have been telling us all along.

Some of the earliest iPhone 5S parts leaks include a purported speaker assembly and a tweaked vibrator motor. And per this sketchy report, Apple could be also looking to redesign the iPhone’s iconic Home button around capacitive touch technology with no moving parts and sapphire crystal for added protection.

The current iPhone 5 uses sapphire crystal to protect the iSight camera lens from scratches. The material has a hardness second only to diamond and is used because of its compatibility with optic sensors.

With less than a month until Apple’s WWDC 2013 conference, we’re seeing alleged next-gen iPhone parts cropping up all over Asia. Apple only told us to expect previews of iOS 7 and OS X 10.9 come June 10 and analysts have cautioned against expecting hardware refreshes before Fall.

On the other hand, the prevalence of these components is usually a tell-tale sign suggesting Apple is now gearing up to manufacture the next iPhone.

What are your expectations of the iPhone 5S?