According to an inside source who spoke with Business Insider, the iPhone 5 was as real as can be.

The hype was uncontrollable leading up the Apple’s October announcement of the iPhone 4S, an event everyone believed was going to be the iPhone 5 reveal.

Though the new Apple handset set the record for the fastest selling electronic device of all time – more than four million units shipped in the first three days – there was widespread disappointment that the iPhone 5 had been cast aside in favor of the 4S.

The world wanted to know what had happened to the 5, which was expected to sport a slim design and larger screen.

Business Insider’s source told the publication he possessed an Apple handset for two weeks, although his account has not been verified.

The source told Business Insider that the prototype handset offered…

  • a four inch display
  • was made from in house prototyping materials, not production materials
  • an aluminum back
  • liquid metal technology for colored devices
  • a better quality display
  • did not have a physical home button
  • a more compact build
  • improved performance
  • terrible battery life
  • a 10 megapixel camera