MacPost has published some rather unexciting images of what it claims is the back covering for the fifth generation iPhone. The image shows a white cover that seems to match the iPhone 4’s back cover except for one interesting detail:

The codename ‘N94′ marked on cover clearly indicates that it is a fifth-generation iPhone part. The front cover, however, is labeled “EVT2″ (Engineering Verification Testing) with date “07-June-2011″, marking it as early development prototype.

Few months back, 9to5Mac first found references to “N94″ and “N93” while digging around in iOS 5.0 SDK, suggesting that these are internal code names for two unreleased iPhone models (probably for iPhone 5 GSM and CDMA model).

With two versions of the iPhone rumored to be due this fall—an iPhone 5 and a reworked iPhone 4—it’s unclear which phone this part would be destined for. We’re hoping that the iPhone 5 gets a complete new look, so we’re rooting for this as an iPhone 4 “Part II” casing.

MacRumors has posted a photo of what it claims to be the metal frame for the upcoming iPhone “4S.” The frame, if legit, seems to indicate changes are coming for the iPhone’s antenna:

The mid-frame images above show that this so-called iPhone 4S will have two antenna breaks at the bottom of the casing. This differs from both the AT&T (GSM) iPhone 4 and Verizon (CDMA) iPhone 4. In AT&T’s iPhone, the antenna breaks are in two spots, along the lower left side and top left sides. On the Verizon’s model they are both at the top sides of the casing.

The reason for the movement of the antenna breaks is to accommodate different frequencies of the different mobile technologies. This “iPhone 4S” appears to have a slot for a SIM card, suggesting that at a minimum it will support the GSM standard like the original AT&T iPhone 4. It is believed the iPhone 5 will support both GSM and CDMA, but we haven’t heard anything definitive about the band support for this iPhone 4S.

We’re not exactly sure what leads MacRumors to think it’s a legit frame, but the site is usually a good source for iPhone rumors. As photographed, the frame looks nothing like the current iPhone 4’s frame, as seen in the photos below from iFixIt:

Taiwan Economic News today is reporting that Apple has taken on Sharp as a second manufacturing partner to produce LCD screens for the next-gen iPad 3, possibly replacing Samsung.

Also, Japan’s Sharp, which has worked with Apple on a joint venture and set up a new production line specifically for the partner, is expected to squeeze Samsung out of Apple’s display panel supplier list by joining the iPad 3 supply chain.

LG Display will remain the primary supplier of LCD screens for the iPad 3, which sources say will be released in early 2012.

The report also claims that component suppliers for the device will make delivery of parts in small quantities in October, which matches up with a recent report from the Wall Street Journal that said Apple was partaking in a trial production run for the iPad 3 in October.

Although LG was originally the sole supplier of screens for the iPad 2, Samsung was brought on reportedly after early models exhibited light leak problems. Samsung’s output of iPad screens eventually grew to outpace LG’s.

One of the reasons for Apple’s partnership with Sharp could be because Sharp is the only company in the world who previously produced high-resolution QXGA screens—the 2048×1536 screen rumored to go in the iPad 3—on a mass scale.

People forget that the iPhone works with Apple’s wireless bluetooth keyboard, but I suppose a virtual keyboard via a pico projector would prevent the need for lugging around a hardware version.

A report today from Taiwan Economic News throws cold water on the idea of a $200 prepaid iPhone flooding third-world markets. The report claims that the upcoming 8 GB iPhone 4 will be priced at around $400 without contract. That pricing is similar to what Apple did to the iPhone 3GS after the launch of the iPhone 4, where Apple released a new 8GB model of the 3GS and made it available for $99 with contract, which roughly translates into a $400 retail cost sans contract.

Noteworthy is that the iCloud is regarded as a budget-priced iPhone, which will be priced at around US$400 per unit, US$200 cheaper than the first-edition iPhone, and will sell for an even lower unit price, or be free of charge, when bundled with telecom service contracts.

The global market survey institute iSuppli explained that the reason why the device is so competitive is application of the cloud computing storage technology, which allows Apple to cut 15% production costs through using less storage components in the product. Hopefully, iCloud will be sought-after in the middle-end segment and help Apple to further boost global market share to keep competitors behind itself.

Early this year, Apple exec Tim Cook fanned the flames of an inexpensive iPhone by telling analysts Apple didn’t want the iPhone to be “just for the rich.” However, just a few weeks ago, Cook seemed to throw caution on expectations by saying Apple wouldn’t release a cheaper iPhone unless it was a “category killer.”

A recent report from Reuters also suggests that rumors of an inexpensive iPhone are just a repeat of Apple’s iPhone 3GS strategy, ie, releasing a version of the iPhone 4 with less memory (8 GB) and lowering the cost to around $400 without contract. However, including new technology such as a dual-mode CDMA/GSM chip would allow the phone to work in new markets such as India where previous iPhones couldn’t.

*Updated article to correct that Apple has never sold the 8GB iPhone 3GS without contract.*

The Wall Street Journal today is reporting that Sprint will become the third carrier in the US to offer the iPhone starting in mid October. Sprint will join rivals AT&T and Verizon in selling the most popular handset in the US.

Sprint Nextel Corp. will begin selling the iPhone 5 in mid-October, people familiar with the matter said, closing a huge hole in the No. 3 U.S. carrier’s lineup and giving Apple Inc. another channel for selling its popular phone.

Sprint is the third largest carrier in the US with 52 million subscribers. Verizon has 106 million subscribers and AT&T 99 million.

Sprint’s recent switch from WiMAX to LTE for its future 4G network buildout could have been the final piece in the puzzle to bring the iPhone to its network. Sprint’s current network uses the CDMA standard, same as Verizon, yet when Apple released a CDMA iPhone 4 this year, Sprint was left out of the loop. It’s possible that Apple wanted confirmation that there’s a future for the iPhone on Sprint when fourth generation LTE wireless networks become standard in the US in the next few years. Apple has been actively hiring LTE engineers and testing out LTE technology for possible inclusion in future iPhones.

It’s unclear from WSJ’s report if it’s the current CDMA iPhone 4 that will be offered on Sprint, or if it’s the rumored “new” cheaper iPhone 4 that is supposedly intended for prepaid markets. Both the upcoming iPhone 5 and prepaid iPhone 4 could include a dual-mode GSM/CDMA chip that will allow Apple to sell a true “one phone for one world” phone. CDMA phones do not use SIM cards like GSM phones but instead require networks to give permission to individual phones to connect to the network.

Reuters today had some new info on the release date for the iPhone 5, citing a source claiming Apple is aiming for a release at the end of September. Their source indicates that the iPhone 5 will look much like the iPhone 4, gaining only a few hardware updates like a larger 4-inch screen:

In addition to the launch of the smaller iPhone 4, Apple is targeting an end-September launch for the next-generation iPhone 5, one source said, confirming earlier reports on Apple follower blogsites and industry websites.

The new iPhone — which some call the iPhone 4S because of its largely identical appearance to the existing iPhone 4 — will have a bigger touch screen, better antenna and an 8-megapixel camera, one source said.

The iPhone 5’s two manufacturers have been told to prepare production capacity for up to 45 million units altogether, the source said. The phone will be made by Hon Hai Precision Industries Co Ltd and Pegatron Corp, the person added.

Reuters’ September release date is at odds with an emphatic report from a weeks ago by the Wall Street Journal’s AllThingsD that insists the iPhone 5 will arrive in October. Apple in the past has been relatively flexible on its release dates and could move it forward or back depending on circumstances and quality testing reports for the hardware and iOS 5, currently in beta.

Reuters is reporting today that Apple has placed orders for a smaller 8 GB flash drive destined for a cheaper version of the iPhone 4—the current iPhone 4 comes with a 16 GB or 32 GB drive. Sources speaking to Reuters say the flash drive is being built by a Korean company but declined to specify which one. The manufacturer is likely South Korea’s Samsung Electronics, which builds flash drives for the current iPhone along with Japan’s Toshiba.

Apple made a similar move in June 2010 when it released a cheaper 8 GB version of the iPhone 3GS alongside its new iPhone 4. The 3GS has remained the second best-selling handset in the US behind the iPhone 4.

Reuter’s report also claims that the 8 GB iPhone 4 will “launch within weeks.”

MacRumors added further color to the today’s report by claiming a “low-cost iPhone 4 screen” is already making the rounds with third-party suppliers.