The photographer shared the images with the website, saying that he had got a very good look at the device and that the pictures didn't do it justice.

Indeed, the photographs don't show very much at all - even when enlarged, only a small portion of the handset is visible. The photographer said that the device looked to be thinner but wider than the iPhone 4, with rounded metal edges with a curved or tapered back.

It isn't completely unbelievable that Apple would let its employees test prototype versions of the next-generation iPhone in the real world, especially with a anticipated, but the photographic evidence provided really isn't good enough to conclusively prove that this is what was spotted.

Meanwhile, is also reporting that US network carrier AT&T is planning to 'throttle' the connections of its top data hogs in early October, apparently in order to clear up congestion ahead of the iPhone 5 launch, which is sure to see high levels of demand on the AT&T network.