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‘iPhone 4S’ cases already arriving at AT&T stores [updated]

Published Sep 22nd, 2011 12:43PM EDT
BGR

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BGR has obtained images of refreshed iPhone 4 cases that have started to show up at AT&T corporate stores around the country, and there’s one noticeable difference: the size of the opening for the rear camera. If Apple is introducing a so-called “iPhone 4S” — an iPhone 4 in practically the same case with upgraded internals and a better camera mobile — then the camera sensor will be larger than the existing one on the current iPhone 4 model. In the images from our source, which depict cases from popular case manufacturers Otterbox and Speck, you can see the previous model cases next to the new ones to get an idea of just how much bigger the new camera opening is. The only reason to update an existing case that’s been on the market for more than a year with only one physical difference would obviously be to prepare for the arrival of an iPhone 4S-type handset, most likely in addition to the iPhone 5 next month. Check out more images in the gallery below.

UPDATE: Multiple people have reached out to let us know that the larger camera opening has to do with the LED flash on the current iPhone 4 and not a potential larger camera sensor. As such, the cases pictured above are likely not indicative of a new iPhone model.

UPDATE 2:  Here’s a photo of an Otterbox iPhone 4S thanks to @Chronic

Jonathan S. Geller
Jonathan Geller Founder, President & Editor-in-chief

Jonathan S. Geller founded Boy Genius Report, now known as BGR, in 2006. It became the biggest mobile news destination in the world by the end of 2009, and BGR was acquired by leading digital media company PMC in April 2010.

Jonathan is President of BGR Media, LLC., and Editor-in-chief of the BGR website.

What started as a side project at the age of 16, quickly transpired into 24-hour days and nights of sharing exclusive and breaking news about the mobile communications industry. BGR now reaches up to 100 million readers a month through the website, syndication partners, and additional channels.