The next generation iPhone 5 will most likely be announced Sept. 12 at which point they could make the iOS 6 update available.

Okay, so how this works if you are unfamiliar:

• 9/12 iPhone 5 announced and available for pre-order
• 9/12 iPhone iOS 6 software update for iPhones 3GS and newer possibly available
• 9/21 iPhone 5 available in stores
• 9/21 iPhone iOS 6 software really, most likely available

iPhone 5 Rumors

Oh the Apple geeks are abuzz y’all. ‘Tis the season! It’s almost time for new iPhone.

Now we’ve been around this Apple tree before (see what I did there?) and some of the rumors get a little nutty (again, just plain punny). Last time the fanboys had us CON.VINCED. there would be haptic feedback. Don’t ask. It’s not even worth talking about. So, take these with a grain of salt.

Core (seriously, I can’t stop) new iPhone 5 features

• Smaller charging port – yep, that means all new chargers and docks for you to buy.
• Magsafe charging port – Mac users will be familiar with this, but basically it just means the power cord is magnetically attached to the device. The benefit is that if you trip over the cord your computer doesn’t go crashing to the ground (like gfunkified’s did recently)
• Thinner – new patents show a layer has been eliminated because the touch sensor has moved into the actual glass
• Larger screen
• Smaller home button – some say this should be barely noticeable
• Smaller SIM card (this matters to me why?)
• Headphone jack moves to the bottom of the phone – this probably has to do with the adaptors for the charging port (stick with me, I know it’s getting boring)
• Longer battery life – always a good thing
• Longer device – the new iPhone5 may actually be a bit taller than the iPhone 4S

Questionable Apple iPhone 5 features

• Virtual wallet integrated with Passbook (I’m have flashbacks to the iPhone 4s haptic feedback rumors here)
• Aluminum back (Please no.)

So what might the iPhone 5 price be? Everyone seems hopefully that there won’t be much change from the 4S across the different models. *fingers crossed*

Evolved Mommy iPhone 5 Upgrade Tips

Your current phone is an iPhone 4S

DO NOT UPGRADE YOUR SOFTWARE. Why? Because your iPhone 4S can be jailbroken, which makes it more valuable. You can sell it on eBay for about the same as (sometimes more than) your new phone will cost you. No, I’m not kidding. We do it every. single. time.

Your current phone is an iPhone 4 or older

If you have two shattered screens like my friend Laurie Marshall and don’t want to get the glass fixed, now is a great time to upgrade your iPhone 4 to an iPhone 4S. In fact, Radio Shack. Walmart & Sprint have already reduced their iPhone 4S prices. Radio Shack by $75, Walmart and Sprint by about $50.

Side note: This is the iPhone 5, not the iPhone 5G, the iPhone 5S, the iPhone 5GS, etc. Just the iPhone 5. Unless, of course, Apple decides to call it something else. We’ll see, I guess. In all seriousness, they could drop the number all together, like they did with the iPods and just call it the new iPhone in which case we will have to start referring to them by their respective generations going forward.

So what are you hearing? Are you upgrading? What questions do you have?

Photo courtesy of iResq