iPhone 5 launch tomorrow: Rumour round-up

Today isn’t the day. Tomorrow is the day the next iPhone – or iPhones – get launched as new Apple CEO Tim Cook takes to the stage at the Cupertino campus to unveil what the company has managed to keep under wraps thus far.

Although there have been some last minute leaks, such as pictures of the alleged iPhone 4S model, spilled from the Foxconn factory (or that’s what the source claims).

So on the eve of the launch, we thought we’d run one final story on the rumours which have been doing the rounds the last couple of months, complete with the latest gossip.

Tomorrow, there’ll be an iPhone 5 launched, or an iPhone 4S, or quite possibly both.

The iPhone 5 will theoretically have a redesigned body with sloped edges (as apparent shots of cases for the device have shown) and a metal rear cover.

Once again, at the last minute, talk has sprung up of a slightly larger than the standard 3.5 inch display, too. We’re not sure on that.

It’ll definitely have a faster processor and improved 8 megapixel camera though, but big changes aren’t anticipated, unless Apple has very cleverly hidden something up its sleeve from all the rumourmongers.

The 4S would have the same form factor as the current iPhone 4, just with minor tweaks, such as a faster processor. That could be the next-generation iPhone itself – with no changes made to the body design, except perhaps tweaking the antenna – or it could be pushed out alongside the iPhone 5 as a more budget conscious alternative.

The real innovation Apple would be presenting, in that case, being the choice of two iPhone models and how much to spend.

Or the other theory is that the iPhone 4S is the big next-gen release – or indeed small next-gen release – and the current iPhone 4 gets repriced as the budget model, with the 3GS discontinued.

It’s possible, but we’re still thinking there’ll be a full-on iPhone 5 launched on October 4th. We shall finally find out tomorrow evening at teatime, 6pm, so stay tuned…