With WWDC 2011 behind us, enthusiasts are starting to look at what’s to come for the next-generation iPhone, which is rumored to be announced in the next few months. A spokesman at Etisalat, a United Arab Emirates-based carrier that currently carries the iPhone 4, mentioned a 4G-based “iPhone 5.” Chief Corporate Communication Officer at the carrier, Ali Al Ahmad, went as far as saying that there would be an iPhone 5 with LTE capabilities by the end of this year as Etisalat rolls out G in more areas: Yes, we are in talks with most smartphone manufacturers including Apple on the rollout of the 4G handset, iPhone 5 later this year. As the first telecom organisation to roll out the 4G network, LTE, in the Middle East, we have already started talking to them for the handsets and chipsets in them. The rumor is interesting since it goes against any of the previous rumors, which pointed to a smaller upgrade of the phone’s hardware for this year, identical to the iPhone 4 in appearance, known as the iPhone 4S. Regardless of whether the particular source pointed to a bigger upgrade than that or not, we have all so far stressed that we would absolutely not see a 4G capable iPhone this year. Should this change our expectations for what we hope to see in just a few months? The short answer is: No. Although it is possible that Apple might have changed its mind or kept its plans to introduce 4G under close wraps, we probably would of heard it by now. Executives are also known to talk about unreleased products based on rumors and regardless of what has been in talks with the maker or not, it seems to practically be business standard nowadays. Even though 4G hasn’t been rolled out in too many areas, support for it on high-end smartphones such as the iPhone will be crucial in just a few years if not sooner. While this particular comment might have purely been speculation, Apple will likely introduce 4G in its phones in the near future. However, we don’t think it is likely to happen this year or else we would have heard more about it. So what will the next iPhone look like? Nobody has the answer just yet since Apple hasn’t made any official comment on it. A leaked picture of the device’s front plate point to a nearly identical casing, which is in line with other rumors that point to a small update as well. Operating system wise, we are looking at an improved version of iOS 5, with feature that won’t be available on any older handsets, including the iPhone 4. What do you think? Let us know in the comments below! As usual, stay tuned for more tech news and info by following us on Facebook, Twitter, and/or subscribing to our RSS feed. Read More Authors: