iphone 5

Yes, the most talked about phone this year is one that doesn’t even exist yet. Rumors of the iPhone 5 began shortly after the iPhone 4′s release, but throughout 2011 the talk reached fever pitch with speculation of a thinner, larger-screen iPhone. iPhone 5 speculation was so rampant that some fans managed to create a stunning replica of the device, and many expected Apple to announce it in October. Instead, we got the iPhone 4S (more on that below), which initially left hardcore Apple fans disappointed.

But even though iPhone 5 rumors have quietened down, they never truly died off. The sheer amount of early information on the phone hinted that it was indeed something Apple was working on — we likely just got our hopes up a year too early. Speculation was further buoyed by a report from analyst Ashok Kumar, who said that the iPhone 5 was Steve Jobs’ last major project with Apple. Kumar echoed previous rumors, saying the phone will be thin and sport a 4-inch screen, but he added that it will support 4G LTE technology as well.

I wouldn’t be too surprised if all of the rumors proved true come next year.