Rumors regarding the Apple iPhone 5 become increasingly abundant the closer we get to the expected fall release date and we’ve been keeping readers informed about these almost since the release of the iPhone 4S last year. As soon as one iPhone appears the conjecture begins for the next one so today we thought we’d look at some of the prolific iPhone 5 rumors out there and the prospects of them becoming fact.

We’ve seen plenty of rumors come and go but there are certain ones that have been more widely reported and are far more expected than others. What we want to concentrate on are the most likely that we feel will actually be fulfilled on the iPhone 5 rather than some of the more fanciful rumors out there so we’ve looked through our previous articles and also used some reminders from an eWeek report. If you want more information on any particular aspects simply click on the links to our earlier articles for further details.

We’ve made the point many times that if Apple really wants to keep up with the competition, such as from the Samsung Galaxy S3, then it really needs to come up with something special for the next iPhone so let’s take a look at some of the possibilities. As far as features and specs go, one of the most long-standing rumors regards a quad-core processor for the iPhone 5. Rumors of an A5X or even A6 quad-core chip have abounded for many months and with many of the top-end phones now arriving with quad-core CPU’s this is something that Apple really needs to take note of and something we feel is highly likely. No matter what else Apple is bringing to the table we feel that many will feel disappointed if the iPhone 5 arrives with a dual-core processor.

Another aspect to consider is that of LTE connectivity. This was something being discussed even before the iPhone 4S came out and if the iPhone 5 comes without being LTE-equipped there could be many who consider it to be almost outdated on launch. All the pointers are there for an LTE iPhone this time around and although this is not relevant for many regions we think an iPhone 5 lacking LTE would be a severe drawback for potential U.S. customers now that most high-end smartphones there are 4G LTE.

One of the most persistent rumors concerns a larger display and again many leaks suggest at least a 4-inch display this time around. We’ve seen various sources over the months that point to a bigger display and would frankly be amazed now if Apple sticks to the same 3.5-inch display as presently used, especially considering the current popularity of many of the latest Android smartphones with larger displays. As well as the display increasing in size there has also been a lot of talk, which has stepped up recently, about Apple using ‘in cell’ technology which will make the display thinner and hence the overall size of the handset will also be slimmer.

An improved camera is also something that has been widely-rumored for a long time. Although there have recently been rumors of a ‘swappable’ camera we’re not so sure of this one yet but do at least think there will be an upgrade of the 8-megapixel iSight rear camera that the iPhone 4S uses, although to be honest this is already an excellent camera.

There also seems to be a good prospect that the iPhone 5 will include NFC (near-field communication) support, especially as this too was widely expected for the iPhone 4S but failed to appear. The system of mobile payment technology is being expanded for wider use and we feel that Apple would be making a mistake to skip NFC again for the next iPhone.

Other rumors concern the release date and this is something that has been debated for many months. We have always said that we feel a fall release is the most likely timeframe but many had hoped for a summer release after WWDC. This is not looking likely at all now although a recent rumor touted August 7 as a significant date. In our most recent news on an iPhone 5 release date though, we told how a Verizon executive has mentioned a Q4 release so October is still looking the most likely date.

For many months it was also speculated that the new iPhone might launch running the next Apple mobile operating system update, iOS 6. Now we are closer to a fall iPhone 5 launch and now that iOS 6 has been unveiled and we know it will also be released in the fall, we’d say that this is virtually a done deal.

One of the most recent pieces of conjecture that seems to have gathered pace quickly over recent weeks and now looks very credible is a 19-pin connector to replace the standard 30-pin connector that Apple currently uses. The news of this possibility concerned a lot of Apple device owners, as many current accessories would become obsolete. However a new connector looks increasingly likely and one site reported that this has been “independently verified.” We’ll look forward with interest to see if this comes to fruition.

There have also been plentiful rumors regarding a new design for the iPhone 5 and many feel, including ourselves, that this is an area that Apple really needs to strongly focus on. After some disappointment last year when the iPhone 4S looked exactly the same as its predecessor it seems to us that Apple needs to come up with something truly cutting edge in the way of design for the iPhone 5. Something that will really blow people away is necessary and one long-standing rumor is of a metallic back, or possibly a kind of unibody design, in a similar vein to the MacBook Air casing.

One last rumor that we shouldn’t overlook as it is central to this article is the actual name of the next iPhone. We have consistently referred to it in our posts with the iPhone 5 name to attain some level of consistency and uniformity but of course there is no guarantee that the iPhone 5 is coming at all. If could be titled, the new iPhone, iPhone LTE, iPhone 6 (as strictly this will be the sixth-generation iPhone) or anything in between and this is something that plenty of people would like to know, sooner rather than later. However as it always the case with new Apple products we won’t be sure of this until Apple chooses to let everybody know, in fact this applies to all of the rumors above. What we can be sure of is that we can’t wait to see what Apple eventually announces.

We can’t help also hoping that Apple could come up with something that we haven’t even though of yet, something truly breathtaking that no rumor has even considered but again it’s a case of wait and see. In the meantime we’d like to hear from you about what rumors you’d like to see come true for the iPhone 5? Maybe you’re hoping for a groundbreaking killer feature that we haven’t mentioned or even thought of? Let us know your ideas for the iPhone 5 by sending your comments.