iPhone 5 Rumor Round-Up: Will New Phone Be Delayed?

March 29, 2011— -- Apple's newest device, the iPad 2, has barely been on store shelves for a month, but the Silicon Valley rumor mill is already churning out news about when the company's next product, the iPhone 5, will be released.

This week, the company announced the dates for its annual Worldwide Developers Conference -- the summer event at which Apple CEO Steve Jobs has traditionally released the company's latest smartphone models.

But the announcement's focus on software (not hardware, like the iPhone) left industry watchers wondering if the omission means that Apple will break with tradition and delay the iPhone 5 launch to later in the summer or fall.

Citing sources inside the company, respected Apple blogger Jim Dalrymple wrote on his blog The Loop that Apple fans should not expect any iPhones, iPads or Mac products to come out of the June event.

Blogger: No iPhone Announcement at June Event

"Apple closed the door this morning on any speculation that it would announce new hardware at its Worldwide Developers conference saying it would focus on iOS and Mac OS," he said.

Apple did not respond to a request for comment from ABCNews.com, but in the past has said that it does not comment on rumor or speculation.

Rob Enderle, principal analyst at Enderle Group, said that given parts shortages, it's possible that the company would delay the iPhone 5 launch to later in the year.

"They might push it back to make sure that they've got enough in stock so that stores have enough for people to buy," he said.

But he cautioned that during this time of year, Apple rumors tend to get kicked around online and not all of them are true.

"While all of these are possibiilties, we have to take them with a grain of salt," he said.

iPhone 5 Rumors: NFC Technology, Better Camera

In a press release, Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing, said, "At this year's conference we are going to unveil the future of iOS and Mac OS. If you are an iOS or Mac OS X software developer, this is the event that you do not want to miss."

Still, while developers may flock to the annual Apple conference (according to the event's website it sold out one day after the announcement), Apple fans will remain hungry for details on the elusive iPhone 5.

And while Apple has been typically quiet about the new smartphone, tech blogs have already started posting their expectations for the new device.

TechCrunch bloggers, who suspect the iPhone 5 is pegged for a fall release, expect the shape of the phone to resemble the iPhone 4, but include Near-Field Communication (NFC) technology, which would let iPhone owners use their phones like credit cards.

In February, the Taiwanese bloggers at DigiTimes stirred up the blogosphere with a report that the new iPhone would boast a larger, 4-inch screen.

Others say the phone could have a better camera and a metal back.