iPad Mini Detailed in Images, iPhone 5 May Not Bring NFC after all

GLOBAL – Several images of the new iPhone 5 and even the iPad Mini made their way into the web this week, revealing more details on their design and functionality.

On Wednesday, a Chinese website published a photo of the machined aluminum back-casing of the latest 7.85″ iPad. The headphone jack previously rumored to be located at the bottom, adjacent to the 9-pin connector, appears top-mounted on this photo. It also shows cut-outs for volume and power buttons, a rear-facing camera and speaker assembly.

Images of iPhone 5 published on Thursday confirmed the absence of NFC in it. The metal square seen on an earlier photo, supposed to be housing an NFC chip, is now known to contain the front FaceTime camera, earpiece speaker and proximity sensor.

A genuine iPhone 5 from Foxconn’s Jicheng factory caught on camera shows a chintzy home button, iOS 6 boot-up message and a sketchy slope on the left bezel.

Side-by-side shots of iPhone 5 and iPhone4S depict a notable slim-down of the new member with its uni-body chassis. Its logic board features a nano-SIM card tray and some flex cable redesigns.

Meanwhile, college and university students from Jiangsu Province have been allegedly forced to work 12 hours a day, 6 days a week in exchange of $244 per month, at the Foxconn factory. It’s said that Foxconn was unable to find sufficient laborers for the production of the iPhone 5.