iPhone 5

Did you really believe Apple announcing its big iPhone event would put an end to all the next generation iPhone rumors? Sorry, not gonna happen! Prepare your last grains of salt, because here's the latest, and hopefully the last, iPhone 5 gossip!

While speaking at Macworld Asia, China Unicom's Deputy Director Huang Wenlian said the new iPhone 5 would feature HSPA+ 21Mbps data speeds. This comes from a poorly translated PC Watch report, but the image below is quite convincing.

9to5Mac found three next generation iPod Touch SKUs and two iPhone 4S SKUs in Apple's inventory system. The new iPhones are listed as N90A. The new device is believed to be the iPhone 4S since the iPhone 4 is codenamed N90. The new listings could also be for the rumored 8GB iPhone 4 mentioned by Reuters in August.

The wait is almost over! Apple sent out invites to select media outlets for their big event on October 4. The invitation featured four iOS icons of a clock, the date, a phone and a map with the tagline "Let's talk iPhone." Apple CEO Tim Cook is expected to announce either the iPhone 5, "iPhone 4S," or both at the event.

Hopefully most of our questions will be answered and the iPhone 5 will be unveiled. Sprint should be announced as the newest U.S. iPhone carrier, and Facebook is also supposed to launch their new iPad app at the event. At least we know this will put an end to all the wild speculation and internet rumors.

Apple has blacked out employee vacations from October 9th through 12th and October 14th through 15th. A tipster told Apple Insider the first blackouts will coincide with the release of iOS 5, and the second block of dates are for the launch of Apple's fifth-generation iPhone.

"The first block of dates -- the 9th through the 12 -- could pertain to the release of iOS 5 for existing iOS device owners on Monday the 10th. As AppleInsider reported last week, certain segments of the company's AppleCare divisions have been told to prepare for an influx of iOS-related inquiries on that same day."

Up until now the iPhone 5 rumors have been pleasant and hopeful, but as we draw closer to the rumored Apple announcement in October, various sources are reporting things may not be as cheery as they seem.

John Paczkowski's announcement about an Apple media event on October 4th, made fans hopeful that the wait for the iPhone 5 would finally be over. However, 9to5Mac reported earlier the iPhone 5 could suffer shortages in 2011 due to a manufacturing problem. More bad news came from DigiTimes who reinforced 9to5's claim, adding that a bubble defect in the touch panels could be the cause for the delay.

Those unnamed "sources close to the situation" are at it once again, this time telling John Paczkowski of All Things Digital that new Apple CEO Tim Cook, will be announcing the iPhone 5 on October 4th.

Actually... They told him Apple will be holding a big media event on October 4th, we all just assume it will be to unveil the iPhone 5.

Sorry if I can't get excited about an unconfirmed report about the iPhone 5 possibly being announced, but after so many months of misleading rumors, and such a long wait, I rather skip the press conference and just know an actual release date. Apple fans are hoping that the lag time between the big event and the iPhone 5 launch will be short, but I'm not getting my hopes up just in case. However, it would be kind of crappy on Apple's part to throw Cook to the wolves by forcing him to announce the iPhone 5 won't be ready until 2012. I'm guessing if Apple plans to hold a spectacle for their next generation device, they also plan to release it soon.