iPhone 5 due in September with speech recognition, no upgraded camera

The iPhone 5 will be launched in September, but it may not have all the features we'd been hoping for, according to "a previously accurate Apple source" who's been talking to 9to5Mac.

With the WWDC come and gone and an iPhone 5 no-show, we're back to speculating on an early autumn launch for Apple's next handset. Hopefully this is the correct timescale, because we're not sure we can keep writing this story hold out until next year. And we have the iPad 3 to worry about too.

The iPhone 5 is now in the final testing stages and is "being carried around by high-level Apple and carrier executives" according to the source. That means we could see rogue handsets turning up in bars any day now.

We may see voice recognition in iOS 5 devices after all, ZDNet reports. Though Steve Jobs made no reference to the Nuance technology in his keynote address, it had been expected. An iOS 5 screenshot shows references to Nuance Dictation and something called Nuance Long Endpoint (answers on a postcard please), which suggests both native and third-party apps may soon be able to take advantage of the software.

Apple's much heralded FaceTime may not get its 3G debut, despite other apps such as Skype already offering video calls over the phone network. The issue is more over Apple and US operator Verizon striking a deal than of technical issues, though 3G video streaming is generally a low-quality, patchy affair even in strong signal areas.

A Stateside FaceTime may well take advantage of the increasing availability of 4G LTE networks, something us Brits are still dreaming of. In any case, we've never seen anyone making a video call in public, and thanks to stingy capped data rates here, we probably never will.

Further examination of iOS 5 suggests the iPhone 5 will keep the same 5-megapixel camera found in the iPhone 4, though this speculation is based purely on a single comment found in the code. With what we already know about Apple's improved photo-editing software, plus the possibility of a panoramic photo feature and rumours of Sony supplying image sensors for the iPhone, we'd hoped for at least an 8-megapixel snapper. That said, video app developers should be happy that they may get the ability to export full 1080p HD video instead of the current 720p cap.

So, only three months to go until the next iPhone, eh? Will Apple push out new handsets more frequently from now on, or are we destined for a new iPhone every 18 months now? Whatever the answer, we certainly have a lot of fun trying to second-guess Apple.