iPhone 5 to Be Announced on October 4th

After a surprisingly long wait (iPhones have in the past been announced in June), Apple just issued invitations to an event in which the next iPhone, it is heavily hinted, will be announced.

Current rumors suggest the usual hardware boosts (probably 1GB of memory, a better camera, and maybe the dual-core A5 processor used in the iPad 2), possibly the first change in screen size in the phone's history (from 3.5-inch to 3.7- or 4-inch), and a not-inconceivable expansion to all four major wireless carriers.

The new iPhone, if you believe what they're saying ... will have an 8-megapixel camera ... a rounded back ... a larger screen ... won't disconnect calls if you touch the edges ... will fly -- well, it won't fly, but the rumors do.

In that spirit, here are some of the top features of the new phone, as reported by some of the more industrious Apple followers out there, including 9to5mac, AppleInsider, MacRumors and many others.

One critical caveat: Nothing here -- nothing at all -- has been confirmed or denied by Apple. The company cheerfully but categorically declines comment before product announcements.

Of course, if it didn't, all those other sites wouldn't have nearly as much fun trying to ferret out just what's coming.

The most closely kept secret about the iPhone 5? There isn't one - yet. Apple unveiled a faster, more powerful version of its sleek iPhone on Tuesday and named it the 4S. It includes a futuristic, voice-activated personal assistant service and an app that will send greeting cards for $2.99 each. Sprint customers will now be able to use one.

Pre-orders will begin Friday with availability on Oct. 14.

The new iPhone has an improved camera with a higher-resolution sensor. The processor is faster, which helps run smoother, more realistic action games. It's also a "world phone," which means that Verizon iPhones will be able to useable overseas, just as AT&T iPhones already are.

Apple's new mobile software, iOS 5, will also be available on Oct. 12 for existing devices - the iPhone 4 and 3GS, both iPad models and later versions of the iPod Touch.

Apple said Oct. 12 will also mark the launch of its new iCloud service, which will store content such as music, documents, apps and photos on Apple's servers and let people access them wirelessly on numerous devices.