Apple invitations out for iPhone 5 launch?

San Francisco, USA: Apple Inc has finally sent out press invitations for its much anticipated new product unveiling event. The company widely expected to show off the much anticipated iPhone 5 at the event.

The secretive company sent e-mails to members of the media in US, inviting them to an "invitation-only event" in San Francisco on Wednesday, September 12.

The event, planned for 10:00 a.m. PST on Wed., Sept. 12, will be held in the Yerba Buena Center in San Francisco, the long-time favorite location for the company to unveil its newest gear. While rumors have swirled around the device for months, the secretive company has yet to release any information about it.

Mashable.com says a larger screen for this new model is “almost a certainty,” most likely a 4-inch LCD. Smartphones from Samsung such as the Galaxy S line have received high marks for their giant, high quality screens, making the smaller, 3.5-inch on the current line of phones seem dim and dull in comparison.

As per earlier reports, the iPhone 5 will ship to stores in US on Friday, September 21. However, Apple is yet to confirm the speculative reports.

App4Phone, a French website was one of the first to "leak" the release date of the new Apple iPhone quoting Chinese source.

Other features expected:

3D maps

Apple's new Maps feature is arguably one of the most anticipated to come to iOS 6. However, its 3D integration won't work on an iPhone 4.

Apple has said that 3D in Maps will only work on the iPhone 4S, iPad 2, and new iPad, ostensibly because those products feature more firepower than the iPhone 4.

Updated Siri

The new iPhone 5 would run on the new iOS 6 announced recently and the new OS includes an updated version of Siri. In addition, iOS 6 comes with more personalization options, allowing users to turn on a do-not-disturb mode as well as respond to phone calls with a set message and set VIP status for individuals whose e-mails come through as alerts.

4G/LTE

Apple iPad 3 was the first to bring 4G to an Apple device and now iPhone 5 is expected to follow. And with many 4G handsets already announced, it can't be long before the iPhone supports 4G technologies - even if we won't even have a UK spectrum auction until late this year or maybe early next year.

However, there is some confusion about the 4G enabled iPhone 5 following the fuss over the new iPad in the UK. Apple has a different version for such countries.

Near Field communication (NFC)

Speculations are rife that Apple might include Near Field Communication (NFC) technology in the iPhone 5, turning it into a kind of credit/debit card.

With the tech being inside the Google Nexus S and Samsung Galaxy Nexus, as well as a host of other top smartphones, the time for NFC may finally be here.