Apple’s new iPhone, which is currently rumored to launch in September or October, is reportedly going to be the first iPhone to have a larger display. Multiple reports have suggested that the new iPhone will feature a 4-inch screen, and iLounge’s Jeremy Horowitz is throwing his weight behind it as well. Additionally, he’s reporting that the device will be taller and 20% thinner than the current iPhone 4S. The back of the device will have a metal panel according to the report, though it won’t cover the entire back of the phone. This seems a little strange, especially with iLounge’s rendering. What about the white version? Lastly, there will indeed be a new dock connector to make room for the thinner case, so no doubt third-party accessory manufacturers are going to be thrilled about that, but Apple’s move to introduce a thinner and smaller dock connector is likely a necessary step toward making the iPhone insanely thin. One barrier that Apple has not yet tackled is the 3.5 mm headset jack, which some day might disappear completely in favor of Bluetooth and AirPlay streaming. One more mockup of the new iPhone from iLounge is after the break.

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The iPhone 5 hasn’t been announced yet, but that has not stopped accessory makers from posting upcoming cases for the highly anticipated handset. Case-Mate has published a page on its website with six different case designs for the new iPhone 5, and we’re loving the radical new body shown in the images. We’ve heard tons of speculation that the iPhone 5 will be thinner and lighter than the current model and these cases suggest it will have tapered edges and a slim profile as well. Finally, the images appear to an aluminum back on the fifth-generation iPhone, which also jibes with earlier reports. The iPhone 5 is expected to be available in the United States in October, so we’re not surprised to see leaks like this start to spill out across the web.

UPDATE: Case-Mate has pulled the iPhone 5 cases from its website.

Thanks, David

The iPhone 5 display will be no larger than 4-inches according to panel suppliers speaking to DigiTimes, which also revealed that Apple will ditch the current glass case on the iPhone 4 for a metal-backed chassis on the next-generation iPhone 5. The iPhone 5 display is expected to be between 3.5 and 3.7 inches and the latest rumor is in line with earlier reports that suggested the phone will be thinner and lighter than the current iPhone 4. The iPhone 5 is also expected to offer an 8-megapixel camera. BGR recently reported that AT&T will launch the iPhone 5 in October according to statements made by a vice president with the carrier.

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Nokia’s unannounced E6-00, a new, candybar-style smartphone with a full QWERTY keyboard, has been leaked by a member of the NokiaTeco forums. The E6-00 reportedly sports a VGA resolution touchscreen, an 8 megapixel camera with dual-LED flash, a front-facing camera, and a version of the Symbian operating system that was specifically designed for the device’s 4:3 display aspect ratio. It doesn’t look like Nokia has strayed all that far from the E71 — which also is available in white and comes with a metal back cover — and looks like a pretty solid piece of hardware. In a world with smartphones packing qHD displays, we’re not too crazy about the VGA screen resolution, though, and we hope that particular spec is wrong. Hit the jump to view a blurry video of the E6-00 in action.

[Via MyNokiaBlog]

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A report on Tuesday from Chinese financial paper China Times suggests that Apple’s next-generation smartphone has entered trial production and is scheduled for a third-quarter launch. Apple released the iPhone 4 late in the second quarter of 2010, however some speculate Apple may push its iPhone 5 launch back to July or even later in an effort to place more space between its release and the launch of Verizon Wireless’ iPhone 4, which became available this past February. China Times’ report goes on to echo previous rumors that the iPhone 5 will feature a design much like Apple’s current iPhone 4 model, however it will include a few key points of differentiation. Among them are a larger 4-inch display that may stretch further to the edges of the device, thus allowing the overall size to remain unchanged, and a metal chassis in place of Apple’s current glass case. The report also claims that Apple’s iPhone 5 will feature an NFC chip, which could empower a close-proximity wireless payment solution that might some day replace credit cards. An earlier report on Monday suggested Qualcomm will supply Apple with NFC chips for the iPhone 5.

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A new report emerged on Thursday that resurrects earlier rumors of a larger display on the upcoming iPhone 5, as well as a full circle return to the sleek metal case of days past. The Apple aficionados at 9to5 Mac claim to have a solid source at Foxconn, the Chinese manufacturer responsible for building the iPhone, who claims iPhone 5 production is getting under way. Considering the next iPhone is expected to launch in June, this would certainly make sense. The mole reiterates earlier rumors that the iPhone 5 features two main design changes compared to the iPhone 4: a larger display and a metal case back. Other than that, the source suggests that the iPhone 5 looks much like the current model. Some have argued that the metal case on Apple’s original iPhone caused signal attenuation issues, but now that the company’s unique new external antenna design has been sprinkled with a dash of reality distortion, antenna attenuation and dropped calls are features, not bugs. Should it choose to continue utilizing the current design, Apple could use any materials it wants since the user’s hand does the attenuating, not the case.

Note that the image above shows a metal-look case back accessory for the iPhone 4, not a device claimed to be the iPhone 5.

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Adding once again to its line of ultra-high end luxury feature phones, Mobiado announced Tuesday the addition of the Classic 712 Mokume Gane to its Classic portfolio. Mokume Gane translates from Japanese as “wood grain metal,” and the 712MG is true to its name. The case materials undergo a unique forging process that involves hand-twisting different metals together to create the unique mokume gane look. Beneath its copper, nickel silver, brass and sapphire crystal exterior lie quad-band GSM and tri-band WCDMA radios, a 2.2-inch QVGA display panel, a 5-megapixel camera and integrated GPS. In addition to the Classic 712MG, a special Classic 712MG Angular Momentum Edition is also available along with a matching watch built by Swiss watch maker Angular Momentum. The Mobiado Classic 712 Mokume Gane is available immediately for $4,180 and the Classic 712MG Angular Momentum Edition is already available as well for $8,800. Hit the break for the full press release and additional images.

JAPANESE TRADITION REBORN WITH THE MOBIADO CLASSIC 712 MOKUME GANE

Vancouver, Canada – November 23rd, 2010:  Mobiado is proud to present the Japanese spirit of Mokume Gane with the Classic 712MG.

Mokume Gane ( 木目金 ) translates from Japanese as “wood grain metal”.  This process of bonding mixed-metal was invented by Denbei Shoami (1651-1728) in 17th-century Feudal Japan and was used for sword fittings when the decline of the katana industry forced artisans to create purely decorative items.

The 712MG represents a milestone as the first phone to be created from Mokume Gane.  Noble, fearless, timeless.

The Externals: Mokume Gane – A symbol of Japanese spirit.

The Mokume Gane is created by putting copper, nickel silver, and brass through a thorough 7 step cleaning process, which is the key to preventing material delimitation.  The layers are then stacked and wrap in steel foil.  Once in the air tight environment, the billet is fused through heat and pressure for 2 to 3 hours in an electric kiln.  It is then forged, hand twisted, and forged again for create the final material of Mokume Gane.

The hand twisted Mokume Gane frame is then precision CNC machined and hand polished.   No two phones are alike.  The top of the phone is precision engraved with the designers signature and inlayed with a white or black diamond.  The iconic Mobiado logo is CNC machine engraved into the body to bestow a final touch of elegance.

Large sapphire crystal plates, hand painted with 24 Karat gold lettering and symbols are precision inset into the Mokume Gane body.  The buttons of the Classic 712MG are crafted from an array of sapphire crystal buttons (hand painted with 24 Karat yellow gold, 18 Karat rose gold, and silver) giving the phone a total of 204.5 Carats of sapphire crystal.  The phone is then assembled using 24 Karat gold plated stainless steel screws.

The battery cover is made entirely from one piece of sapphire crystal and incorporates a unique hidden sliding battery cover mechanism (patent pending).  With each piece of Mokume Gane being twisted by hand, every 712MG phone is truly one of a kind.

The Internals: Merging state-of-the-art technologies with the tradition of phone-making innovation.

The 712MG is unlocked and will work with any GSM network operator.  The phone is quad-band GSM (GSM 850/900/1800/1900) and has triple band WCDMA Band I, II and VIII (2100/1900/900) coverage on up to five continents.  It is equipped with a large 2.2” QVGA display, 5 megapixel camera and video camera with flash, integrated GPS, web browser, email support, and a music player that supports AMR, MID, MP3, MP4, M4A, .WMA and AAC files.

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In a recent SEC filing, Liquidmetal Technologies — a company that develops and commercializes amorphous metals — signed an agreement with Apple, Inc. that granted the iDevice maker licensing to all of Liquidmetal’s intellectual property. The filing reads:

On August 5, 2010, Liquidmetal Technologies, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Liquidmetal”), entered into a Master Transaction Agreement with Apple Inc., a California corporation (“Apple”), pursuant to which (i) Liquidmetal contributed substantially all of its intellectual property assets to a newly organized special-purpose, wholly-owned subsidiary (the “IP Company”), (ii) the IP Company granted to Apple a perpetual, worldwide, fully-paid, exclusive license to commercialize such intellectual property in the field of consumer electronic products in exchange for a license fee, and (iii) the IP Company granted back to Liquidmetal a perpetual, worldwide, fully-paid, exclusive license to commercialize such intellectual property in all other fields of use (together with all ancillary agreements, the “Master Transaction Agreement”).

Amorphous metals could be desirable to mobile electronics makers for their overall durability and flexibility in manufacturing. Plus, who could forget that high-end luxury cell phone manufacturer Vertu used Liquidmetal Alloy in their Ascent series (and even demonstrated them being run over by a Porsche to showcase their durability).

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Ok so it isn’t nearly as sexy or action-packed as its big brother the OmniaHD, but it’s always good to see another S60 handset courtesy of Sammy. If a glass-topped AMOLED full touchscreen handset with an 8 megapixel camera and a hefty price tag isn’t your thing, the B5100 could be just what the doctor ordered. Specs are unconfirmed for the time being but we seem to be looking at a QVGA display, HSDPA and Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth and USB 2.0, DivX playback support and a 3 megapixel camera with LED flash all wrapped in what appears to be a brushed metal package. Not that we’ll ever see this little guy hit a carrier here in the US, but at the right price we could have a nice little Symbian phone on our hands here.

[Via Unwired View]

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It goes without saying that this is nothing more than a rumor, but alleged images of the next generation iPhone casing have surfaced from China. Said to feature a slip-resistant matte black coating and be made of metal as opposed to iPhone 3G’s plastic, the case in the photo even features a new model number of A1303 and all of the appropriate FCC ID numbers that are not usually found on your typical iPhone-related fakery/Photoshop job. One thing of note is that while the rumor does state that the back casing is made of metal, as you’ll see in the last photo after the jump looks suspiciously like it was made of injection-molded plastic. Plus as anyone who had the first iPhone will remember, the reception was often extremely spotty due the metal backing interfering with RF signals. On the flip side of the coin however, the leaked iPhone 3G case that ended up being real last time around originated from the same spot as these photos – the iPodObserver blog. Granted it wasn’t quite as far before the 3G’s release but hey, you never know. Hit the jump for a couple more pics.

[Via MacRumors]

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We’re not the first site to have a hands on, but we’re the first with a production unit. So there! All jokes aside, I’d like to give you a little back story… about 3 years ago I was talking to one of my higher-up Motorola sources and we started discussing Vertus. I said how much the right people appreciated those phones even though there were completely outdated in terms of technology. They filled a void and were the first ones to get it. I suggested Motorola should create a spin-off brand and concentrate on higher-end phones. Use precious metals, hand assemble them, limit availability, and you’ve got yourself a winner. Our source promptly shot down the idea saying that Motorola wasn’t looking to manufacture high-end devices, just handsets that fall under the RAZR umbrella. Well, I guess all good ideas never die. Motorola’s AURA is in fact the highest-end device they’ve ever built.

As far as the physical hardware goes, Motorola has used the same strategy above that Vertu has used successfully for many years. They’ve made the device almost purely out of metal (even the keyboard is metal), there’s Swiss-manufactured internal components for the flip mechanism (same concept as the complicated movements inside your favorite expensive watch), and they used Sapphire crystal to overlay the beautiful circular display. We’re not joking here, guys — this is hands down one of the most beautiful and impressive screens we have ever seen. As far as build goes, this really is built how a phone should be. And hey, for a retail price of $2,000, it better be. The software is the MOTOMAGX platform which does not allow for 3G, so that’s a pretty decent strike against it. But, we were pleased with the responsiveness of the phone and the familiarity of it. The reason why you see the pre-production devices with the serial number engraved on the metal panel on the flip is that we’re told Motorola originally was limiting the phone to 5,000 handsets. They were going to engrave the buyer’s name and serial number on the panel. Then, Motorola executives probably said two words and changed their minds… “Russian. Market.” Since this is such an important milestone in Motorola’s history, we’re going to put together a full review on the Motorola AURA in the coming days. If you’ve got any questions that you’d like squared away, drop a comment and we’ll do our best to include it. As always, you can find our fine photos in the BGR Gallery below!

Click on over to our Motorola AURA hands on gallery!