Is this confirmation of "4S" branding for Apple's next-gen iPhone?

 

If you have been following the rumors surrounding Apple's upcoming but yet to be announced next-gen iPhone(s), you would know the latest reports have Apple's big unveiling slated for October 4. It hasn't been until today, however, that we've had any type of confirmation on the potential branding for the next-gen device. 

 

You probably already also know most analysts seem to agree there will be two iPhone models released. One is expected to be a full-fledged upgrade branded as the iPhone 5, and the other an incremental refresh of the iPhone 4 branded the iPhone 4S. While not ruling out a possible iPhone 5, the image above was tweeted by the almost always reliable @chronicwire showing the "4S" branding for new iPhone cases from popular case maker Otter Box. He also claims the company has produced 3,000,000 of the cases in an initial run.

 

The backside of the packaging (below) shows what chronicwire describes as "soft-looking new volume buttons" that can be "attributed to the 'volume button to take pic' iOS5 feature."

 

There have been some that seem to think Apple will only introduce the lower end of the two, an iPhone 4S. Wedge Partners' Brian Blair told BGR he expects only a "modest upgrade" to the iPhone 4 alongside an a 3G-enabled iPod touch (similar to the 3G iPad option).  Most analysts from this camp believe the refreshed iPhone 4S will largely remain the same as the currently shipping iPhone 4 apart from a new 8-megapixel camera and Apple's A5 processor. It looks like we'll have to wait until sometime in October to find out for sure.