Report: Production already started for next-gen iPhone

The next-generation iPhone, Apple Inc.'s popular smartphone, may be on the way sooner than consumers think. An Apple enthusiast site over the weekend cited reports from "Chinese sources" who said the new iPhone has entered the production phase. In a blog post, AppleInsider.com said the new iPhone may have design changes including glass to the unit's "uni-body" backplate. "While previous reports pointed to a 'uni-body' chassis that featured a two-tone all-metal design, the purported production model will sport an (inlaid) glass piece between the backplate's top and bottom edges instead of leaving a bare aluminum surface," it said. It added that unlike the iPhone 4 and 4S which have a glass sandwich design with tough Gorilla Glass front and back coverings, the new handset will reportedly have a backplate only "partially covered" by the Gorilla glass. The change may reflect a design change to accommodate a four-inch high-resolution Retina display with 16:9 aspect ratio, it said. AppleInsider.com also said a trusted source had notified Japanese-language MacOtakara that Chinese manufacturers have started to ramp up production of the new iPhone. Meanwhile, AppleInsider said the latest chassis design "lacks" a small hole between the camera assembly and LED flash that some had speculated to be a rear-facing microphone for video recording. It also said analysts pegged September to October as a likely launch time for the new iPhone, in time for the holidays.  — LBG, GMA News