Apple iPhone 5 Release Possibly Just Hours Away: Roundup of Rumored Specs

There are huge expectations for the iPhone 5's specifications, which will boast significant hardware and software upgrades. Take a look at the most-rumored iPhone 5 specifications:

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Model: It is expected that iPhone 5 will come in a black as well as a white model.

iOS 5: At the WWDC 2011 keynote address on June 6, Apple announced its newest mobile operating system version iOS 5. The new OS comes with 200 new features that will include Improved Notifications System, Newsstand and iMessage. It will also feature new applications, such as the Reminders app and Newsstand, an application resembling Folders and iBooks.

iCloud: The next-generation iPhone is expected to feature the new iCloud service for operating iTunes, providing wireless remote access of music from all computers and mobile devices. The iCloud will also store photos, apps, calendars and documents without using the phone's memory storage capacity.

Hardware: Several of Apple's rivals, mainly LG, Motorola and Samsung, have already released dual-core processor phones. It is expected that iPhone 5 will integrate a fast 1.2-to-1.5 GHz dual-core A5 processor chip, which powers the iPad 2, with probably 1GB of RAM.

With upgraded hardware, iPhone 5 will likely be equipped with speed in processing information and apps, in addition to using lighter hardware parts than in previous designs to decrease the device's weight.

Besides a new processor, new elements such as a SIM-less design or an embedded SIM card could help reduce the iPhone 5's physical thickness. Among other chipsets, a Broadcom BCM4330 could be integrated for its Wi-Fi and Bluetooth capabilities.

Design: Best known for their beautiful design, Apple is expected to adopt a teardrop design for iPhone 5 that is supposed to be slimmer and lighter than previous iPhone models. The new smartphone will come with an aluminum plate casing rather than the current glass backing.

Voice-Recognition: Speculations are rife that iPhone 5 may have voice-recognition features, inferred by the title of the invitation - "Let's Talk iPhone." Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster said in a note to clients that the "let's talk" tag line is a less-than-subtle hint that Apple may be planning to deliver voice-recognition advances the company has been working.

Home Button: One rumor that gets repeatedly mentioned is that Steve Jobs didn't want any physical buttons on the iPhone from the start. However, reported prototypes suggest that iPhone 5 may have a rectangular button compared to the circular one found in iPhone 4.