There are many rumors about the iPhone 5 out there. The most common ones include a bigger, 4-inch screen, 4G LTE support, and a smaller dock connector. Various sources support the 4-inch screen, and 4G LTE capablities only seems natural. Now, leaked pictures show what could be the smaller dock connectors, and indicates Apple might be using a smaller eight-pin dock connector.
Estimates on the size of the new dock connector have varied from eight pins to 19 pins. A recent, accidental post on the Apple store website revealed a dock connector converter that would allow new Apple devices with the smaller dock to still be able to connect to accessories and devices built for the current and old 30-pin dock.
A French website, Nowherelse.fr, posted the pictures of the smaller docks with a USB connector for size comparison.
If these are true, then Apple's next round of devices, including the next-gen iPhone, an iPad Mini, and new iPods (all rumored to be revealed to the public on September 12).
The pictures show eight pins on one side of the dock connectors, which would mean 16 total. The reason for a smaller dock is probably because Apple wants to free up space for a bigger battery, or other chips and features it needs to add to the iPhone 5.
The iPhone 5 will most likely be released in late September or October, if the September 12 announcement date is true. A rumor that recently circulated on Twitter pegged the price at $800. Keep in mind, that current iPhones without a service plan can run that much. If a standard two-year contract is put into play, there's no reason to believe the iPhone 5 will start at $200, like many of its competitors, including the Samsung Galaxy S3.
The next iteration of the iPhone 5 should also introduce an NFC chip for wireless data transfers. It is also supposed to be thinner than the slim Samsung Galaxy S3. More likely than note, it will debut with the iOS 6, which is also supposed to come out in the fall.
Here's a video with a roundup of recent iPhone 5 rumors: