Rumors Swirl Around iPhone's Fifth Birthday

As Apple looks to upgrade the iPhone after the device's five-year anniversary, fans are buzzing over the highly anticipated next model.

Since its inception, the revolutionary device has taken over as the world’s premier smartphone and infiltrated the lives of people everywhere. Now, there are rumors swirling of the iPhone 5 being unveiled next month, including a possible thinner and larger display, smaller dock connector, and increased mapping capacity.

As the days grow nearer to the expected release, customers at the in Downtown Palo Alto share their opinions on the company’s flagship product.

“The thing I like most about the iPhone is being able to be on-the-go and still staying connected,” said one patron. The phone itself has utilized 3G connection since the iPhone 3G model was introduced in 2008.

Nearly one in three smartphone owners carries an iPhone, according to Yahoo! News. While Google’s Android still dominates the market, with a number of different phones capable of using its system, Apple’s iOS is reputed to be more accessible to the casual smartphone user.

However, the iPhone is not without its faults, according to Apple users we spoke with.

“Battery life is the most important to me. Right now, the functionality is great, but there’s no point if you can do all of it for only 8 hours,” said another customer.

The iPhone 4S was critically acclaimed, but one of the main gripes about its overall performance was the short battery life, a problem confirmed by Apple.  It has not been announced yet if the iPhone 5 will have an improved battery.

Apple and the iPhone have taken the world by storm over these past five years. As the latest in a series of wildly popular phones will descend upon us this next month, fans can only speculate about what the iPhone 5 will bring.

“I have had a Blackberry for the past three years, but every time a new iPhone is released I always ask myself if it’s finally time for me to switch,” another customer said. “I think with the 5 I might finally make that switch.”

Do you have an iPhone? What do you want to see in the iPhone 5? Tell us in the comments!

--By Nabeel Chalampatt