iPhone 5 Rumors Begin To Circulate

Apple's iPhone 4 is becoming old news. The antennagate saga has come to an end, and the Case Program is closed. As we approach the end of the year, many of us are now looking ahead to June, and beginning to think about Apple's iPhone 5. But, what can we expect from Apple's next iPhone handset? If past experience is anything to go by, the new model may not even be called "iPhone 5," as many have already tipped. It could always enter the world as "iPhone 4G," or "iPhone 4S," depending on the nature of the hardware update. Remember the iPhone 3GS? This has happened before, and, with the iPhone 4 being such a massive leap forward, I wouldn't be surprised if the next generation of the iPhone is significantly less amazing. Additionally, when you pause and think about it, the iPhone 4 is almost perfect. Sure, there may be an antenna issue. But, there is a 5MP digital camera, an HD camcorder, Retina display, and 512 MB of RAM. Obviously, you can say: make camera the better, the display even crisper, and throw in more RAM. Yet, I don't think that's much of a possibility. Clearly, a 10MP camera is better than a 5MP camera, but I don't think we're going to bear witness to another "revolutionary" iPhone generation for some time. Fortunately, for all of us, the guys over at TechRadar have given this topic a lot of thought; they've compiled a list of iPhone 5 rumors, which we're going to take a look at now. What most people seem to be interested in, is Apple's recent interest in near field communications. Not long ago, the company hired an expert in this field: many expect this to mark a heightened interest in near field communications for Apple. But, what could this mean? Well, if Apple utilized NFC, your iPhone could become a variety of things - including a digital wallet. We took a look at Apple's interest in NFC not long ago, so for more information be sure to check out our article. From what we understand, significant improvements to the handset seem to lie within this field. Interestingly, pundits are still expecting Verizon to carry the iPhone in 2011. Recently, we heard from TechCrunch that Verizon is set to carry the iPhone 4 in January of next year. Such rumors have been hitting sites around the world for some time now, and we're never sure exactly what to make of them. I think a Verizon iPhone is a probability. Yet, whether we see a Verizon iPhone 4, 5, or 6, is still a matter of great debate. A Verizon iPhone would make a lot of people happy. Over here, in the UK, we have the iPhone available on a variety of networks. And, while there are only subtle differences in various tariffs, the ability to chose a network depending on coverage is great. AppleInsider also noted recently that Apple may be using Qualcomm chips in its upcoming iPhone 5. As Qualcomm created the CDMA network currently used by Verizon, many expect this small detail to point towards a Verizon iPhone in 2011. Other than these, TechRadar has stated that it expects the iPhone's components to remain the same, and for its price not to increase. Essentially, I think we're looking at a handset with a variety of minor improvements: something which, as TechRadar aptly states, will be "evolutionary, not revolutionary." If you have any thoughts regarding the next generation of Apple's iPhone handset, be sure to let us know in the comments below!