iPhone 5: Pipe Dream or Coming Soon?

So, is there a new iPhone on the horizon, or is it just a baseless internet rumor?

It depends on who you ask.

According to this report from International Business Times, we could see a new the iPhone 5 during the latter half of this year, with new features such as expanded memory, a better camera, and larger screen.

I'm currently using an old Blackberry, and while I do like having a keyboard, there are several features my phone doesn't have that I wish it did.  So, I've been thinking about getting the iPhone, but I don't want to buy it now and pay too much if a new and improved version is to be released within a few months.

I happened to be near an Apple store this afternoon, and asked one of the salespeople if there was any official word on when the iPhone5 would be released.

To say that he was a bit "testy" about it is an understatement.

"iPhone5?  There IS no iPhone5. There's no "five" anything. It's just a rumor. There are people out there that make their living spreading rumors like that. If you want an iPhone5, I've got a bridge over in Brooklyn I can sell you real cheap, too, if you've got the cash."  

Sheesh. Sorry I asked.

I told him that I was trying to avoid what happened with my iPad: I purchased it at the end of December, and by early March, the iPad2 came out, and I felt like I'd gotten screwed out of all of the new features. He said that if I'd purchased a first generation iPad within a month of the new iPad2's release, I might have been able to convince a store manager to do an exchange for me, but that since it was more like 3 months, that's just too bad.  "Technology is constantly being updated and upgraded," he said. "Three months is a long time when it comes to technology."

No, no it isn't. Not when you're paying hundreds of dollars. He shrugged his shoulders and smirked. "Well, that's just how it is. If you want to know when something new is coming out, look for announcement on Apple.com.  Anything other than that is just a rumor."

I still haven't decided whether or not I should wait a few months to see if a new iPhone is announced, or if I should go ahead and get one now.  The one thing I have decided, though: I won't be buying it from that guy.