At Fever Pitch. iPhone 5 Speculation Picks Up Even More Steam.

Let’s face it. Your phone is a clunker and you need a smartphone, one with power, substance, and style. Your professional friends swear they no longer need a computer and can manage their lives entirely through the swipe of a touch screen. You want to wait for the magic moment to camp outside an Apple store, swapping stories and speculation about the company’s future in the post-Steve Jobs era. But judging by the broken volume switch and the many issues you’re having with your current phone—like pocket-dialing past employers at three o’clock in the morning. You badly need a new phone, but you have this feeling that as soon your fingers find the favor of a new touch screen, the ghost of Steve Jobs is going to haunt you with the announcement of something new, awesome, and better.

Fortunately those who are still clinging to their clunkers—waiting for that iPhone 5—there is hope. While a release date is still unconfirmed, word has it that a brand new iPhone will grace us in its presence this fall, according to the Wall Street Journal. In fact, there is even some speculation that this release may occur as early as August 7th! Some are already well-prepared to pitch a tent and position themselves inside a mall or outside a shopping center for a few days.

It seems like just yesterday you could dial an 800-service to speak to a company’s customer service rep either confirm or deny the release of a new product. These scenarios weren’t just limited to the tech world either. Many sighs and headaches have been shared over the decades at those who saved up their money for a pair of Jordan sneakers only to see MJ put out a new pair of kicks within weeks. But now in a more open society, the high volumes of speculation—as well as the successful release of Samsung’s Galaxy III—have gained the eyes and ears of Tim Cook and company.

Apple has denied that the iPhone 5 is even in production—which has only increased speculation of it’s release sooner rather than later. In the age of social media, it’s not so much about how you respond now as much as when and why your company responds. Apple knows this is a game, a fun one played amongst developers, techies, cyberpunks, and Apple’s own. Much like Custom Toll Free awarding a Kindle Fire to businesses showing off their 800 toll free numbers in fun and creative manners, having customers camping outside Apple stores for their new product, wiping the salivation of anticipation from the corners of their lips just adds that new element of surprise and adventure to what would originally just be a mundane shopping experience.