LTE

With the third-generation iPad launch now a week old -- unless you're in today's second wave of launch countries, that is -- the rumor mill has turned its attention back to the iPhone.

The latest comes from iMore, which today posts some chewy, though anonymously-sourced hardware details about Apple's next smartphone. Those include a move to a 4G LTE radio like the one the third-generation iPad ships with, a display that's "similar if not same sized" to Apple's long-time 3.5-inch spec, and the move to a smaller dock port for charging and data transfers.

The blog, which correctly targeted the announcement date of Apple's third-generation iPad unveiling, as well as the tablet's inclusion of 4G LTE networking, added that the new phone would follow in the iPhone 4S' footsteps and launch in the fall.

Besides 4G LTE, which was rumored ahead of the iPhone 4S, this is the latest such mention of Apple working on a miniaturized dock connector to help make extra room in its portable devices. A report from Japanese Apple-centric blog Macotakara in October claimed as much, with iMore adding to those claims last month, saying the smaller ports were headed to the iPhone and iPad so that Apple could make more room in those devices for other components.

The 30-pin adapter, which Apple uses on iPods, iPhones, and iPads, was originally designed to help make iPods thinner; Apple began with full-sized Firewire ports, later switching to USB exclusively. It's since become the standard for third-party docks and accessories.

Ahead of the iPhone 4S unveiling last October, the slew of rumors about the device took on a life of their own, due in no small part to the extended wait between models and the growing importance of the iPhone to Apple's business. Some of the big ones included mention of a complete redesign, the likes of what Apple did between the iPhone 3G/3GS and the iPhone 4, as well as the chance of multiple new models, and tweaks to longtime features like the screen size and home button.