Possible photos of the iPhone 5 released online, feature metal back and small dock connector

There are certain to be many, if not hundreds, of photos released in the coming weeks and months of what the rumored iPhone 5 may look like (just as always happens in the time leading up to the launch of new Apple products) but 9to5Mac.com released several photos on Tuesday of what it says is the back plate of the next-generation iPhone expected to be released this summer.

The photos are available at 9to5Mac and show what appears to be both the back plates of a black and a white version of Apples next smart phone. Of course, the biggest rumor about the new iPhone is that it will have a larger display (4 inches diagonally, according to most rumors) but it is hard to confirm or deny that from the pictures posted Tuesday.

What we can see from the pictures, if they are in fact of new iPhones, is that there is a metal area on the back of the phone that covers about 85 percent of the rear portion of the phone. Additionally, it appears that Apple has launched the long-rumored smaller version of the dock connector, moved the headphone jack to the bottom of the phone, and made some slight modifications to the volume buttons on the side of the phone.

Of course, nothing will be official until Tim Cook and the Apple crew make an announcement later this summer, but it is a good sign that the rumor mill is churning and those who get their excitement from devouring every last rumor are certain to be satisfied in the coming weeks.