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If This Is What The New iPhone Looks Like, Are People Going To Be 'Disappointed'?

Alleged leaks of the next iPhone are coming fast and furious.

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The latest example comes from a Chinese case manufacturer who claims to have a next generation iPhone.

We have no clue if this is truly the new iPhone, but it looks a lot like what other people are reporting the next iPhone will look like.

And if these reports are accurate, it looks (to this reporter's eye anyway) like the "new" iPhone is going to look a lot like the old iPhone.

Take a look at this image, which is of the supposedly smuggled iPhone:

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iphone 5 leaked case
Coolzonepda

At a quick glance, doesn't it look exactly like the current iPhone? For comparison, here's the iPhone 4S:

iphone4s
Flickr/Dexter Panganiban

There are some differences, obviously. The new iPhone's front facing camera is in the center. The old iPhone's camera is to the side. And the new iPhone has a taller screen, allowing another row of apps.

The back of the new iPhone is said to significantly different with a metal backing. But, most people have cases on their phones, so no one would see that, even if it was true.

Perhaps looking at the new iPhone as a sketchy photo won't be the same as seeing it in person. Maybe in person the differences between the two phones really jump out at you.

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But for right now, the new iPhone looks much like the old iPhone, if all these leaks are to be trusted.

Our question: Will this affect iPhone sales? Will consumers care?

Last year Apple released the iPhone 4S which looked exactly like the iPhone 4. Consumers were disappointed in the lack of a redesign, but it didn't affect sales for the first two quarters it was on the market.

Last quarter, however, Apple's iPhone sales were lower than expected, prompting some people to wonder if Apple's failure to launch a redesigned iPhone had caught up with it.

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Will a new iPhone that, while sporting a bigger screen, still looks a lot like the iPhone released two years ago be enough for consumers? Do they want an entirely new product?

We think consumers just want the newest iPhone they can buy. If Apple drops this phone and says this is the newest, best thing we can make, people will be happy. However, there is a slight chance that three straight years of the same basic design will hurt Apple.

Apple iPhone
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