Initially rumoured to arrive in October 2011, Apple’s highly-anticipated iPhone 5 failed to materialise last year. Instead, the rumoured iPhone 5 launch saw Apple unveil their hugely successful iPhone 4S – the fifth incarnation of the iPhone, but not the iPhone 5 proper. So just how long will fans have to wait for the arrival of what promises to be the most radically redesigned iPhone yet?

According to the latest buzz, the iPhone 5 is expected to officially launch later this year – mid to late 2012. Given Apple’s past release pattern, it’s expected that we’ll see the first previews at Apple’s major annual showcase, the Apple Worldwide Developer Event (WWDC), which usually takes place in June.

As for an actual release date, the respected Japanese Apple blog Macotakara has reported that it’s heard from Asian sources who claim that the next generation Apple device should arrive between September and October this year. As the iPhone 4S arrived in October last year, this date seems to fit the Apple schedule.

Cost hasn’t really been addressed so far, but with the iPhone 4S launching at £499 last year, we can expect a similar, if not higher price band this time around. Networks will undoubtedly offer suitably beefy contracts for those who can’t afford to splash out on buying the new device outright. Those who want to go SIM only can look to new SIM only specialists giffgaff.com for the cheapest iPhone SIM only deals on the market.

So what can iPhone fans expect from the new device? Apple are as tight-lipped as ever, and until the expected WWDC showcase, it’s hard to say for sure. However, the rumour mill suggests a major redesign. We know Apple aren’t afraid to make major changes to even their most successful devices, as the switch to a new SIM card slot for the iPhone 4 showed.

The biggest expected change is a brand new dock connector, smaller in size, possibly accepting standard micro-USB connectors for the first time. This would be a major plus for iPhone users. Better battery life and 4G compatibility are rumoured too. It seems unlikely that Apple would ignore the 4G demand, as the new network’s already rolling its way out across the States.

The battery life issue is also a major one – one of the most griped about aspects of the iPhone range, and we don’t think it’s something Apple would be willing to ignore. While it seems unlikely that Apple would be willing to increase the size of the iPhone 5 in order to increase battery power, reducing the size of the dock connector would free up the space they need, so the latest rumours make a lot of sense.

We’ll have to wait until nearer the summer to find out about all the new specs, but if Apple’s past record is anything to go by, the iPhone 5 won’t be anything less than an improvement on the iPhone 4S – and we’re sure they’ll be some surprises in the mix too.

Geoff Smith performing “Living the dream” of just getting by. This of course refers to president Obama’s new definition of the American dream of just getting by.

Still don’t know what we are talking about? Check out No Agenda – you can get the recorded version for free if as part of the “That’s Gravity” dynamic album.

We are really excited to be on several top 10 positions in iTunes today as follows:

1. iTunes Video Podcasts

- overall (US Store) – RingtoneFeeder was placed at #4, #5 and #6

2. iTunes Tech Podcasts

- also in the US Stoore – RingtoneFeeder was placed #1, #2, #3 and #4

This is quite amazing – thanks for your interest and support we will continue to produce the best ringtones we can.

In the meantime – if haven’t subscribed yet – you can get the free Ringtone podcast or access to all the ringtones ever produced by us from RingtoneFeeder.com

Will Lee, who is a Grammy-winning musician known for his work as part of the CBS Orchestra on The Late Show with David Letterman, has successfully completed a project from his home in NYC without ever being in the same room as his collaborator Geoff Smith.

Will Lee and Geoff Smith recording remotely

Read the full story

We are really pleased with the 5 of 5 star rating of RingtoneFeeder today by Cult of Mac when they reviewed our iPhone ringtones.

“Go ahead there’s no reason to wait go ahead and try it, but look out you’re likely to get hooked!”

David W. Martin concluded.

You can read the entire review at Cult of Mac

It is once again Tuesday and we have just released the 117th batch of iPhone ringtones. If you are a subscriber they will all be available in your feed in iTunes by the time you read this as usual.



This week the ringtone is titled “Hip Hop Hello”:

Hello
Anyone there?

- the instrumental tone this week is “Funky Flute”

As usual please make sure you right-click the RingtoneFeeder podcast in iTunes and select “Update Podcast” and then click the “GET ALL” button to make sure all the tones are downloaded automatically.

If you are a subscriber, don’t forget to vote for the weekly ringtone below or in the members vote section so we can get a feeling for what you like, otherwise have a go at the free demo feed to check out what we are offering.

If you are not subscribed yet, then just click here to get started. If you have any problems getting the ringtones on to your iPhone please have a read through the frequently asked questions or just contact us and we will do everything we can to help.

Don’t have an iPhone or just want this week’s ringtone? Check out OneTone or head over to iTunes where you can also now get RingtoneFeeder tones as albums.