Rumors about Apple’s next-generation iPhone are constantly coming in from day-to-day, and the most recent one could give us another look at the upcoming smartphone’s form factor.

A former staff member of Neowin has stumbled upon a non-functional model of the iPhone 5 in the MBK Center, one of the largest shopping malls in Bangkok, Thailand. Since it’s unlikely that an iPhone 5 accidentally suddenly finds itself in a random mall somewhere, this mock-up could very possibly be a reference model or a display model for a retail location.

However, Neowin didn’t specify exactly where its ex-staffer ran across the replica device, making it still possible that it could be an elaborate hoax.

Notwithstanding this caveat, we can see that the model lines up neatly with prior rumors about the design of the next-generation iPhone. First and foremost, it has the more elongated design that could accommodate a 4-inch screen, the two-tone back that uses aluminum for the center and some other material for the top and bottom, the redesigned bottom that features the smaller dock connector, larger speaker grills and the headphone jack as well as a relocated hole for the FaceTime camera.

Photo credit: Neowin

The model also features a mock-up screen, which shows that the 4-inch screen could accommodate five rows of icons plus the dock.

If this really is an official display item for stores, then the actual release of the iPhone 5 is definitely not too far off. Apple has been rumored to be gearing up for a launch event on September 12, with actual availability following about nine days after.