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Apple plans to release iOS 5 sometime this fall, with over 200 new features and improvements. Although an iOS 5 release date has not been announced, several of the upcoming firmware improvements have been described in detail. Many of these features already exist and can be installed on your iPhone now. Why wait to get the most out of your mobile device?

Some of these additions require a jailbroken iPhone, but now thanks to JailbreakMe jailbreaking your iPhone is as simple as visiting a website in Safari. There are many useful apps available that will bring iOS 5 features to your phone for a few dollars or completely free of charge. Here's a list of 15 different iOS 5 features you can get right now using the Apple App Store or Cydia:

The same day Bloomberg announced that Sprint would be offering free unlimited data plans with the iPhone 5 in mid-October, SprintFeed published a screenshot of the carrier's internal systems which revealed they're preparing for a "major phone launch" in October. Sprint's biggest known upcoming release is the Galaxy S ll which is due out next week. The memo states that a blackout is the begin on September 30 through October 15, so we know Sprint isn't canceling vacations for their Galaxy series. The note says "possible" major phone launch, meaning if it's for the iPhone 5, no one is quite sure of an actual release date. So don't believe all those bold predictions from the "unnamed sources" we keep hearing from.

It's safe to assume things are going to get a bit competitive between U.S. wireless carriers if Sprint and T-Mobile are really going to be carrying the iPhone 5 next month. According to Bloomberg, Sprint Nextel Corp. will try to separate itself from the competition by offering unlimited data service plans with the iPhone 5.

An anonymous source said Sprint will begin selling the next generation device in mid-October, and plans to steal customers away from AT&T and Verizon by being the only carrier to offer unlimited data. Both AT&T and Verizon charge for their data services.

What iPhone 5 release date? Even though there's still no official confirmation from Apple that the iPhone 5 even exists, reports are now surfacing that Foxconn is ramping up production of the mystery handsets to the tune of 150,000 per day. This puts Apple on track for over five million units per month ahead of a single announcement by the company revealing the new device.

Above is a rendering concept produced by Macrumors based on leaked iPhone 5 case schematics from manufacturers in China. Despite Apple's apparent success at hiding the next iPhone from prying eyes, reports from the supply chain continually leak out indicating possible specifications and the status of iPhone 5 manufacturing.

It looks like Apple has no intention of slowing down its patent war against Samsung until every Samsung Galaxy device is banned from the planet. Apple has moved the battlefield to Japan, where they hope to block sales of the Galaxy S and Galaxy S II smartphones, as well as the Galaxy 7 tablet. Apple has been successful in stopping Samsung from selling and advertising their Galaxy devices in Germany and Australia, and are looking to do the same in Japan. They're also seeking 100 million yen ($1.3 million) in damages. The lawsuit was filed on Aug. 23 and the first court hearing was on Wednesday.

"It is no coincidence that Samsung's latest products look a lot like iPhone and iPad, from the shape of the hardware to the user interface and even the packaging," said Seoul-based Apple spokesman Steve Park. "This kind of blatant copying is wrong and we need to protect the Apple's intellectual property when companies steal our ideas."