iPhone 5s

When it comes to the iPhone camera, the hardware has remained basically the same since the iPhone 4S launch. That's set to change based on information from a credible report detailing the next generation camera to be featured on the iPhone 5S. Tinhte.vn claims its sources at Wonderful Saigon Electrics have the inside scoop on new camera modules they're manufacturing for Apple.

A jump in resolution from the current eight megapixel CMOS image sensor to a 13 megapixel version on the iPhone 5S will be a significant change. Besides higher resolution, the new cameras are said to have better low light performance for improved night shooting. This could be an important distinction for Apple, considering smartphone and camera manufacturers alike are striving to compete on this front.

I don't know if it's due to a lack of interest, or lack of information, but next generation iPhone rumors have been scarce this year. However, one rumor that has been consistent is that the next generation iPhone will feature a fingerprint sensor. Apple is purportedly working with Chipbond Science and Technology to make the fingerprint sensor a reality, according to the China Times.

The Home button will be transformed into a fingerprint scanner, which will allow users to easily enter passwords or authorize purchases with just the push of a button. This will be a lot easier than having to enter a password every time you want to access your phone, or buy an app, but I doubt Big Brother conspiracy theorists will be big fans.

The always reliable Jeremy Horwitz of iLounge has debunked some of the rumors we covered in our first 2013 rumor roundup. Apple is currently developing three iPhones, but that does not mean we will see all three in 2013. U.S. Apple fans will be getting an iPhone 5S this year. It will look like the iPhone 5 and feature a "larger rear flash," according to Horwitz. Apple is also developing a low-cost” plastic-bodied iPhone for China Mobile's 700 million subscribers. It''s unclear if the more affordable iPhone will ever make its way to the U.S..

As for my favorite recent Apple rumor, the iPhone Math is most likely the iPhone+. It's another new model in early prototyping stages which probably won't be released this year, if at all.

"Consider it Apple’s 'just in case / Plan B' hedge against ever-growing Android phone screen sizes," explained Horwitz.

Horwitz did not address the unnamed iPhone with a 12MP camera, which also came from the iPhone Math camp, but it could just be the iPhone 5S.

How convenient would it be to secure your iPhone without ever having to enter a passcode again? One analyst is predicting that Apple will raise the stakes in the smartphone race by adding a fingerprint sensor to the iPhone 5S. AppleInsider observes that Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities has a "particularly strong track record" when it comes to predicting Apple's upcoming products.

Not only would a fingerprint sensor push Apple ahead of the competition, but Kuo believes it would cause problems for others to catch up. Android and Windows phones typically have multiple buttons below the display. The addition of a fingerprint sensor would cause "intuition issues" for users. In contrast, the iPhone 5S will have only one button, perfect for integration with a fingerprint sensor.

Unlike like the previous couple of years which were filled with dreams of tear-dropped iPhones, the start of 2013 has been pretty quiet for the normally busy Apple rumor mill. The end of 2012 put an end to some the biggest Apple rumors with the launch of the iPad 4, the iPad mini, and the long awaited iPhone 5. This is also why Wall Street is predicting a slow start to the new year for Apple, and why AAPL is down even after the company recently announced a record $54.5 billion in revenue.

Apple CEO Tim Cook promised iOS fans some "amazing new products" in the company's quarterly earnings press release released yesterday. Here's what the rumor mill thinks they will be.

iPhone 5S:

Some analysts are promising a 2013 summer release for the iPhone 5S. Apple isn't expected to make any changes to the iPhone's form factor like it did with the iPhone 5, but purported photos of leaked iPhone 5S parts show minor changes to the aluminum chassis. It is also rumored that Apple will offer the iPhone in an iPod touch-like array of colors, and introduce a Home button fingerprint sensor system.