With only a few months remaining for the official debut of the next iPhone, dubbed iPhone 5, rumors and leaks are flying thick and fast. A China-based cell phone case manufacturer claims to have been successful in grabbing a prototype of iPhone 5.

Chinese case vendor Cool Zone PDA posted iPhone 5 mock-up images on its website, which look legitimate. The images do not show a fully-operational unit, but could possibly be the final design of Apple's next offering i.e., the fabled iPhone 5.

The iPhone prototype is sealed in the vendor's case in the images. One image captures the front side of iPhone 5, showing that extra bits have been added to the height. The second image focuses on the bottom of next iPhone, showing a smaller dock connector. In addition, the headphone jack appears to have been relocated to the bottom.

The leaked images comply with earlier rumors that the iPhone 5 will have a larger display (possibly 4-inch) with a 19-pin dock connector to boot.

The case manufacturer currently has 29 cases in its iPhone 5 portfolio, each with a taller design. The cases have a hole at the bottom to accommodate the headphone jack along with what appears to be a mini dock connector.

This is not the first time when an unannounced iPhone has appeared in leaked images. Back in May 2010, Gizmodo posted several images of iPhone 4, lost in a Redwood City beer bar just few miles away from Cupertino. Another website, this one based in Vietnam, also came up with identical pictures of iPhone 4 before its official debut. Judging by the past, the white iPhone 5 prototype could be a real unit smuggled out of Foxconn's factory.

With the clock ticking down to iPhone 5's debut, this one could be one of those fake mock-ups too. The case manufacturer could have designed a custom test prototype based on leaks and rumors. Of course, the images lack any evidence of being photoshopped. However, we would rather play safe and not bet our last penny on the recurrent leaks!