With rumors flying thick and fast about features of the much-awaited iPhone 5, iFans would by now be familiar with what to expect in the iPhone 5. Recently, industrial designer Don Lehman has asserted that the sleeker unibody design could make the next-gen Apple offering the thinnest and lightest iPhone yet.

"Instead of using the entire metal band for antennas like in the 4, the 4S only uses the top and bottom sections as antennas. Since the flat sides don't contribute to transmitting signal and only help with the structure of the device, it makes sense to make them even more integral to the structure. This is what makes a unibody iPhone possible." said Chicago-based Lehman.

The unibody design, combined with the hardware used, will contribute towards a much thinner and a much lighter iPhone 5.

Earlier in April, Topeka Capital Markets analyst Brian White had averred that "This new, sleek look will be the most important reason that consumers decide to upgrade to the iPhone 5, while we believe the addition of 4G will also attract buyers of the new device," White went on to say that "We believe the iPhone 5 ramp for the December quarter could be extraordinary, dwarfing previous launches and driving the stock closer to our $1,001 price target."

In June 2010, when the iPhone 4 had launched, Apple claimed that it was thinnest smartphone in the world. iFans had welcomed the much-improved design, which had contributed immensely to the smartphone's success.

With various rumors of the speculated iPhone 5 circling the tech market, users can expect that the Cupertino company is on track to tweaks features, as well as design changes to the eagerly-awaited iPhone 5.

With several leaked images doing the rounds in the tech community, iFans seems to be very excited to get their hands on the purported iPhone 5. Slated for a Sept. 12 debut, it remains to be seen if Apple can astound the tech market (yet again) with the launch of the thinnest and lightest iPhone ever.