Images of purported next-gen iPhone casing leaked

Images of what is purported to be the casing of the next iPhone have leaked. The case appears to feature the long-rumored elongated screen and a design similar to the current iPhone 4S, which was released last October. Unlike a previous video of the supposed case, the new images show what the fully assembled phone may look like.

The pictures, posted by Chinese supply and repair shop iLab Factory, show a smaller dock connector, the elongated screen and a new metal backing (replacing the previous glass backing used in the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S). The website also posted pictures of the individual parts used in the next-generation iPhone, including the home button.

Recent reports have indicated the new iPhone will feature a screen measuring at least 4 inches diagonally, which would be the first time the iPhone has seen an increase in physical screen size. The iPhone's screen has measured 3.5 inches since the original version launched in 2007. It was also recently reported that the screen would be thinner than the screen currently used in the iPhone 4S, with the traditional touch-screen layer being eliminated and instead integrating touch sensors directly into the screen.