The Apple iPhone 5

With the much anticipated release of the Apple iPhone 4 over and done with, Apple lovers everywhere have turned their attention to the next generation of Apple smartphone, the tentatively titled Apple iPhone 5. As with any popular line of gadgets, there is much speculation about what new features the iPhone 5 will have, and whether or not certain important design elements will get an overhaul. In this article we highlight some of the newest and most interesting rumors about Apple's soon--to-be latest generation iPhone.

While it is expected that the iPhone 5 will share many of the same features with the iPhone 4 and other previous iPhones, particularly in terms of style, there are likely to be a few minor deviations. One of the biggest rumors floating around is that the iPhone 5 will have a slightly larger screen than previous generations, perhaps as big as 4 inches - a full half inch larger than the iPhone 4's. Why? With the amazing success of the iPad 2and other tablet computers - that I think surprised even Apple! - Apple may be anticipating consumer demand for larger displays on their portable devices. A 4 inch screen would make movies a little easier to watch, text on a word document a little easier to read, and pictures and little more fun to look at. Also, there have been a number of devices recently released that attempt to "fill the gap" between smartphones and tablets in terms of size. By making the iPhone slightly larger, Apple may be trying to squeeze out competing devices.

Also in terms of aesthetics, there is some speculation that the iPhone 5 will have a tapered design so that the top of the phone is thicker than the bottom. At its thickest point, the phone would be about the same thickness as the iPhone 4, but taper down toward the bottom to a thickness perhaps no more than the display itself. If true, this new design may reduce the weight of the device such that an additional half-inch of display would not cause the iPhone 5 to be heavier than the iPhone 4.

Half of you will be reading this article to glean one important detail: when is the Apple iPhone 5 release date? Unfortunately, at this time, no one knows for certain. Most of the rumors circulating about the blogosphere, however, suggest that production of the device will begin in summer 2011, and that it should be released to the public no later than the 4th quarter 2011 or 1st quarter 2012. There is a good possiblity that the device will be released sometime in November in anticipation of the holiday season sales.