By Stephen Schenck | August 13, 2012 1:23 PM
In just a matter of weeks, we should get our first official look at Apple’s next-gen iPhone. At least, the recent rumors have been looking towards Apple announcing the iPhone 5 during the second week of September, with retail sales starting closer to the end of the month. While nothing’s still official, some more evidence has arrived in support of that timetable, and we’re also getting our first look at what just might be the iPhone 5′s main board.
According to sources within AT&T, the carrier has been playing with employee schedules to ensure its stores are fully-staffed in late September through mid-October. In the past, we’ve heard tales of the carrier restricting vacations in a similar manner, so this sounds consistent with the iPhone 5 going up for sale towards the end of September.
As for this motherboard shot, we’ve seen images of iPhone 5 shell parts, as well as plenty of ribbon connectors, but some big pieces like this one have been missing. One thing a lot of us have been wondering about is the choice of processor Apple will go with for the phone. Unfortunately, the RF shielding in place here prevents us from getting a look at the chip.
Even without that revelation, there are still some things to learn from this shot. Some connectors have changed since previous iPhone designs, including those for the battery and the touchscreen. There are also some extra connection points for antennas, which may be a consequence of the rumored LTE support.
