A photo of the next generation iPhone has been in the wild for nearly a week, according to 'impeccable' AppleInsider sources.

The reason no one spotted the photo is because it was overshadowed by the company's new iPad.

Engadget obtained a leaked photo of the iPad just before it was announced. It appears that the iPhone in the photo is a prototype of one of the handsets due to hit the market in about five months.

Cosmetically, the iPhone in the photo appears without its iconic aluminum bezel. Instead, the device is surrounded by a black plastic of aluminum material. Either that, or the handset is wrapped 80 percent of the way in a rubberized protective holder like the iPad prototype it rests on top of, though the quality of the image leaves this assertion to considerable debate.

AppleInsider suggests the whitish blotch immediately to the left of the earpiece grill could suggest a camera lens, though it could also be just a reflection.

A new version of the iPhone is expected around July of this year.

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