New iPhone Announcement: October 4

How about we all stop the iPhone rumors and wait until next week Tuesday to see what the latest iPhone announcement will bring us?

Yes, this morning Apple started sending out the invitations.

The graphic is not so subtle: "Let's talk iPhone" is the caption; there is a notification on the phone icon; the calendar icon simply shows the date of the event; the clock icon shows the time; and the map icon shows Apple's Cupertino campus (as the iPhone/iPad icon always does).

Since I'm not getting the next iPhone, I'm mostly waiting to see when iOS 5 will be released.

But for many, especially those with the iPhone 3GS who patiently passed by the popular iPhone 4 for this latest model, it is time to upgrade.

Although at one time it was believed that two iPhones would be released and the iPhone 5 would get a larger screen and a slimmer body, the consensus now is that there will be one new iPhone release (as usual) and it will not be a major redesign.  This would be a big win for iPhone accessory makers who spent countless time and money to get products on the market.  This would also be in line with iPhone history as major redesigns are usually every other year since the iPhone 3G was released.

Here's more interesting iPhone news as it relates to the new iPhone:

• October 14th Launch for iPhone 5/4S in US, UK, France, Germany, Japan?
• Facebook iPad app may launch at Apple's Oct. iPhone 5 event - report
• Apple Rushing Retail Store Renovations Ahead of iPhone 5 Launch
• Rumor: Next iPhone to feature powerful Assistant, 1 GB of RAM
• iPhone Not Coming To T-Mobile This Year, Exec Says
• Sprint To Get iPhone 5
• iPhone prototype N94 leaked, possibly to be an iPhone 4S
• Exclusive: 4G LTE iPhone currently in carrier testing

Leaked iPhone 5 Design?

I've been following iPhone rumors since I decided in May of 2008 that the smartphone I wanted was an iPhone.  At that time, the iPhone was in the $399-$499 price range; there was no App Store; pictures were 2MP with no autofocus, flash or HDR; there was no GPS; there was no gyroscope; there was no multitasking (some say there still is none); there were no push notifications - well, you get the picture.  The iPhone was in its infancy and although it gained a lot of notoriety, only those with deep pockets could afford one.

But, in those days, iPhone rumors were, more or less, spot on.  I even told an AT&T employee that the iPhone's price would drop into the $199-$299 range and he said, "No way!"

In my pre-iPhone 3G posts, I already knew the features of the next iPhone.  Since then, iPhone rumors have taken a life of its own.  These days, I take each rumor with a grain of salt.  But this morning, there may have been a leak of the real iPhone 5 design that we will eventually see when the product is unveiled in the coming weeks.