Recently I have seen a number of rumors flying around about the iPhone 5. Supposedly one of the “top secret” prototypes was left at a bar by an absent minded Apple employee, as reported by ibtimes.com.

Last year, a similar thing happened with the iPhone 4 prototype.  It ended up in the hands of the tech website Gizmodo, as was reported by cnet.com, who used it as an opportunity to get an exclusive sneak peek into the iPhone and its new feature.  The secret behind Apple’s success is its terrifying ability to convince people to spend $500 on a product they already own.

The iPhone 4 also comes with a second forward facing VGA camera that is used for FaceTime, an app that is supposed to provide mobile video communication along the lines of Skype.  The VGA camera has a resolution of only .3 megapixels.

Another trap for consumers is that claim that the new iPhones have “4G” connectivity.  The “4G” is in quotations because there is currently no set definition as to what 4G actually is.  The significance of “4G” is that many people buy one of these devices expecting to get “4G” speeds but they live in an area without a “4G” network.  These networks are currently only in large population centers like Pittsburgh and New York City.

Upgrading to a brand new iPhone when the consumer already has a perfectly operational one is a complete waste of money.  Taking into account the mitigating factors by upgrading in such a manner he or she is essentially paying $500 for a .3 megapixel camera.  For the same price a person could purchase a semi-professional 16 megapixel camera with 24x optical zoom.

Keep this in mind when the iPhone 5 is released and don’t waste money on something you already own.  Also, when you finally do need a new phone or have a free upgrade, there are many other devices out there with different pros and cons including Android, Blackberry, and Windows Mobile.  In this age of technology there are many way to find information about new products advantages and disadvantages, so don’t just get what is supposedly “cool” and fall for the Apple gimmick.