What's in store with Apple and the next iPhone?

Over the course of the past few months, rumor mills across the world have been roaring about what may possibly be found in (or seen on) Apple's next big refresh - the iPhone. 

Back in June of 2007, when the first iPhone was announced and released, users from both the Mac and PC world admired this 'next best thing' for Apple. Ever since then, the iPhone has improved little by little and some people today ponder over the idea of, "How could it get any better?"

That's the mission Apple has been after since the start of the company. 

According to 9to5mac.com, the next iPhone may be thinner (Apple tries to accomplish this task in every product refresh) accompanying the possibility of more screen real-estate. These are some improvements, that I agree with, that could be made to handle the user's performance of the device as well as other necessary functions, like multi-touch gestures. Another predicted change is in the hardware of the phone. Apple's A5 chip (a processor), which is located in the current iPad, is predicted to end up in the next iPhone. This will make for speedier responses between the user and the device.

Along with the improvement in screen size, a thinner phone, and a faster processor, I would like to see a camera with better zoom functionality as well as a battery that retains the charge longer. I would also like to see an improvement in the cellular reception for calls in the phone. (If you recall, there was a huge problem when the iPhone 4 came out, codenamed 'antennagate'. This was because the new technology with antennas on the outer band would drop calls for users when they put their hand over a corner of the phone.)

The next big question - when will this update occur? When can I get my hands on this new device?!

This past June (and in the summers past), Apple holds a WWDC (World Wide Developer Conference) where news about refreshes in the latest operating system for Mac and iPhone, as well as the actual products, is talked about. This year, the spotlight was Mac OS X Lion, coinciding with iOS 5 (the operating system for iPhone) and iCloud. No mentions of the next iPhone at all.

Also looked forward to in the summer, Apple holds a 'Music Event', where iPods (and sometimes the iPhone) get a refresh for the upcoming holiday season. No word on when that event will be - yet.

Sources within Apple have said that it may possibly lead to a late September or Early to Mid October launch. This makes sense because Apple's iOS 5 for all iDevices is at the near-end of developer stage, planning for a public release in the early fall (September). The next iPhone will hopefully ship with this software update. Other sources say that the next iPhone release has been delayed due to the A5 chip overheating in the prototype devices.

Time will tell what the next iPhone has in store for users, and I think that it will be one of the greatest updates yet. I'll be sure to write about the next iPhone when it comes out detailing all the new features. What features would you like to see in the next iPhone? Tell us in the comments.