UPDATE, OCT. 2011 - The time for rumors is over, at least for now. The iPhone 4S, the phone that many people were discussing as the iPhone 5 before its official announcement, has been unveiled. Learn all about the iPhone 4S, and what rumors were right, here. This page has been updated to reflect that these rumors are in fact about the 4S
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Even though the latest iPhone--the Verizon-compatible model--just debuted, the iPhone 5 is probably just around the corner. Can't wait to get your hands on the iPhone 5? Here are the latest rumors about what you can expect from it. These are just rumors, of course, so take them with a grain of salt and don't make any plans until Apple makes an announcement.
Rumors marked * are the ones that strike me as most likely to be true.
Name
* April 21, 2011; 9to5Mac: iPhone 4S (though this may be a separate, cheaper phone than the iPhone 5)
General assumption from many sources: iPhone 5
Processor
May 30, 2011; Macotakara: ARM Cortex-A9
Possibly the Apple A5, successor to the iPhone's current A4 chip
* Jan. 27, 2011; DigiTimes: Dual-core processor
Possibly the Apple A5, successor to the iPhone's current A4 chip
Memory
Sept. 15, 2011; AppleInsider: 512MB
Storage Capacity
* March 9, 2011; M.I.C. Gagdet: up to 64GB storage
Screen
May 17, 2011; Electronista: Edge-to-edge screen
April 22, 2011; The Verge: 3.7-inch screen
Feb. 15, 2011; DigitTimes: 4-inch screen
Networking
No word on any changes to the current WiFi, 3G, and Bluetooth combination.
May 30, 2011; Macotakara: SIM less, "world" phone
* Jan. 18, 2011; iSmashPhone: A single chip that makes the phone compatible with both AT&T and Verizon
Carrier
* Aug. 25, 2011; MacTrast: AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and Sprint in the U.S.
Aug. 24, 2011; Wall Street Journal: AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint in the U.S.
* May 17, 2011; Forbes: AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and Sprint in the U.S.
Camera
Sept. 26, 2011; 9to5 Mac: Support for panoramic photos
June 22, 2011; DigiTimes: 2 LED flashes
* Feb. 14, 2011; 9to5 Mac: 8 megapixel
Extras
Sept. 26, 2011; 9to5 Mac: Assistant, a voice-recognition feature that will allow users to perform all manner of tasks by voice
July 8, 2011; 9to5 Mac: There will be 2 next-gen iPhones; one at the high-end, the other a lower-end, lower-cost model to compete with cheap Android phones
May 16, 2011; Forbes: Wireless payments are out
March 17, 2011; Forbes: Wireless payments are possible
March 15, 2011; iDealsChina: Dual SIM cards to allow for two phone lines
March 14, 2011; The Independent: Wireless payments are off the table
March 7, 2011; Gadgets DNA: Rear of phone will be aluminum, not glass
Feb. 22, 2011; AppleInsider: near-field communications/RFID/wireless payments via phone
Feb. 14, 2011; 9to5 Mac: Fold-out, physical keyboard
* Feb. 11, 2011; Bloomberg: iPhone nano model
Operating System
No specific word yet, but almost certainly iOS 5.
Size and Weight
* July 6, 2011; Wall Street Journal: Thinner and lighter than iPhone 4
Price
No word on this yet, though it's reasonable to expect it will be roughly the same as the current iPhones: US$199 for 16GB, $299 for 32GB, with a two-year contract.
iPhone 5 Release Date
Sept. 21, 2011; AllThingsD: October 4 announcement; release within 2 weeks after
Aug. 15, 2011; TiPb: October 7
Aug. 1, 2011; AllThingsD: October
July 25, 2011; Boy Genius Report: First half of September
July 14, 2011; CNET UK: Aug. 16
July 6, 2011; Wall Street Journal: September
June 22, 2011; Bloomberg: Third quarter
May 30, 2011; Macotakara: Late July/early August
May 16, 2011; T3: Nov. 21, 2011, in the UK
March 28, 2011; Multiple Sources: Sometime after Sept. 24, 2011
Feb. 22, 2011; FBR Capital Markets: Sept. 2011
