July is already halfway over, September is drawing closer and closer – so the rumors regarding the new iPhone just keeps piling up.  It’s still uncertain when Apple will be unveiling the next iPhone or the iPad mini, but sources say that the big reveal will happen in late September and would go on sale by October.  Several developments point to an iPhone 5 release in the near future, striking up the battle call for manufacturers, retailers and carriers.  AT&T in particular may be hoping to revive an iPhone-centric business model with FaceTime charges, while Sprint plays the “good cop” as an AT&T alternative.

So as we impatiently wait for Apple to make their move, let’s look at some of the latest rumors regarding the rumored iPhone 5.

Screen

According to sources, the next iPhone will have a bigger screen, as in 4-4.6 inches bigger, but it would be thinner because of the in-cell touch panel being used instead of the LCD panels older generations of iPhones used to have.  The Wall Street Journal claims that the iPhone 5 is already in production but since in-cell touch panels are harder to make than traditional LCD panels, manufacturers are having a hard time keeping up with Apple’s demands and deadline.

Because of the rumored thinner screen, some are suggesting that the next iPhone would be the thinnest and lightest version, while others speculate that Apple could use the space to put in a larger battery for additional juice, or the void would be filled with other tech trinkets such as the NFC chip.  But some sources claim that Apple is using Quantum Dot LED curved glass with edge-to-edge display for 3D display functionality.

NFC

Rumor has it that Apple will be joining others that utilize the near field communication technology as they were recently awarded the patent for iTravel – “a method and system for transportation check-in (e.g.:, ticketing and identification) via near field communication (NFC) using a handheld electronic device, such as a cellular phone or a personal media player”.  But there’s still a possibility that Apple filed for the patent but won’t actually use it.  Or they could just use NFC for their mobile wallet.

Chip

Apple is expected to release a quad-core processor, since everyone is using a quad-core processor in their smartphones, which the media is referring to as the A6, based on its predecessor, the A5.  The iPhone 5 is said to feature a 1GB RAM.

Design

Some claims that the iPhone 5 would have a teardrop design with an oval shaped home button but that was also said before the iPhone 4S was launched and that was a big miss.  There’s a video on YouTube which featured the comparison between the iPhone 4S and 5 coverings.  It showed that the iPhone 5 back cover is longer than its predecessor, so the bigger screen might be true, plus it seems slimmer than the iPhone 4S back cover, so the in-touch panels seems to be true.  The video also showed that the iPhone 5 back cover has a smaller dock connector – to accommodate a rumored 19-pin dock connector, redesigned speaker grills and a second aperture next to the rear camera lens, possibility for a secondary microphone for video capture.  Another notable difference is that the iPhone 5 back cover is connected to the middle frame, creating a whole back cover unlike the previous iPhones with separate front, middle and back parts.  The earphone slot was moved to the bottom part of the device, adjacent to the speakers and dock connector, and features a smaller SIM card slot.

Another rumor is that the iPhone 5 would be encased in LiquidMetal or metallic glass casing which is deemed stronger than previous casings.

Camera

Apple is said to be putting an 8MP or even higher rear camera with the ability to take pictures in the panorama mode and a 2MP front camera.

Rumors about the iPhone 5 is so strong that Taobao, a Chinese retail shop and a unit of Alibaba Group, is now accepting pre-orders for the device.  And if you browse Alibaba, you can see that a lot of vendors are already selling or taking pre-orders for flexible silicone, hard cases, and even customized casing for the iPhone 5.  So based on the casings for sale, the design of the iPhone 5 won’t be as drastic as expected – it would still look like the iPhone 4/4S – only bigger.

But it’s not only the Chinese that’s using the iPhone 5 rumors to their benefit.  Even American network carriers are taking advantage.  Earlier today, we reported that there’s a possibility that AT&T would be charging their customers for Face Time use.  Face Time is currently a Wi-Fi only app but apparently, when iOS 6 rolls out, Face Time can be used with your cellular network – thus the possibility if charging users for it since it’s a data hoarder.  That’s bad news for AT&T subscribers, but Sprint was quick to take a stab at AT&T: they announced that they will keep their unlimited data plans and use of Face Time would be included in their data plan – no extra charge.  So if AT&T does begin charging for Face Time, there’s a huge chance that a lot of subscribers would drop AT&T and go to Sprint’s yard.  But for that to happen, we’d have to wait until iOS 6 rolls out or for the iPhone 5 to be revealed.