iPhone 5 to be Drastically Different From iPhone 4S

If this latest report is accurate, the next iPhone won't be anything like the model you currently have stuffed in your pocket. The news comes from an intriguing leak, which, according to Cult of Mac, has been attributed to the website SW-Box. In short, the leak shows the image of a headphone jack and earpiece component that is supposed to be from the iPhone 5. "Of course, this component isn't going to tell us much about what the iPhone 5 will look like," Cult of Mac writes. "But it does tell us one thing: That the new device will be different to its predecessors. If the new device was going to maintain a similar design -- as we had feared earlier this month -- it's unlikely its internals would change so significantly." Cult of Mac reports that this is the second iPhone 5 component leak, and that it is expecting "a whole lot more to surface over the course of the next few weeks." Knowing how crazy Apple AAPL fanboys have become, Cult of Mac is probably right. There almost certainly will be more iPhone 5 details -- real or fake -- coming out during the next few weeks and months. But don't let this raise your excitement level too high. The iPhone 5 is still believed to be a fall 2012 item. While some bloggers have speculated that it will get a (hopeful) summer 2012 release, the reality is that Apple has too many other product updates to worry about (including the frequently rumored MacBook Pro overhaul, along with updates to the iPod, iMac, and MacBook Air) before it can -- or will -- release another iPhone. Apple also has the long-rumored "iPad Mini" to think about. More and more analysts are jumping on the "it exists!" bandwagon, assuming that Apple will cash in on this highly lucrative market. I strongly disagree for a number of reasons, including the fact that the iPad is a premium product and Apple would be foolish to diminish its value by releasing a smaller (read: cheaper) model. That said, if sales of the current iPad slow down, Apple might be compelled to release a smaller device to avoid losing market share to other tablet manufacturers. If, however, the current iPad continues to be profitable, don't expect Apple to launch an iPad Mini. Follow me @LouisBedigianBZ