Apple's next iPhone is highly anticipated, especially with the Samsung Galaxy S3 and Galaxy Nexus being at the fore of Android and Windows Phone 8 devices arriving later in 2013. The design, controversial during the iPhone 4's early months due to unreliable call signal, looks to be changed, according to new photos.

The phone is 12cm/120mm in length, according to photos posted by GottaBeMobile - around 5cm/50mm taller than the iPhone 4S - while the model has similar thickness at around 5.5cm/50.5mm. The iPhone 5 is rumored to be using a 4-inch screen, despite former Apple CEO Steve Jobs saying 4-inch screens aren't optimal for mobile devices. The rise of plus-4-inch phones such as the Samsung Galaxy S3, which raised 10 million pre-orders, has proven the form factor sells.

The back camera remains on the top left-hand corner and the camera lens looks almost (if not) identical. A new addition is a microphone between the camera and flash, which will apparently be used for "video recording and noise reduction to improve call quality" according to GottaBeMobile.

Other photos claimed the glass back is gone, a move perhaps down to reports from users it shatters easily. The photos don't provide conclusive evidence considering it's an all-metal mockup, but two lines at the top and bottom of the phone suggest two materials are going to be used. A concept video bringing the leaks together shows an aluminum back.

Other photos claim an edge-to-edge display will be used, which would allow the screen to be wider and smaller while retaining the iPhone's slim form factor.

The antenna is unchanged from the iPhone 4S, so no sudden dropped calls, while there's no indication of what battery is going to be used. The almost identical form factor could mean the battery isn't changed from the iPhone 4S, but a better processor and 4G LTE support could mean worse battery life. Battery shortages have put doubt on the iPhone 5 launch window, With the new Retina display MacBook Pros, the battery size was majorly increased to accommodate the resolution. iOS 6 optimizations may negate some issues, though.