Apple's purported iPhone 5 launch has been immersed in a sea of leaks and rumors. Leaks by the dozen have detailed the specs and features of the new iPhone, including speculation about a smaller dock connector. Recently, an image of the next-generation iPhone's charging cable surfaced online, and it seems to corroborate the smaller dock connector assertions.

On Aug. 22, iLounge revealed a photo of the alleged USB cable for the iPhone 5. The leaked image is courtesy of a Veister.com employee who goes by the handle "Jackyao" and posted the photo on his Twitter account. Vesiter.com is a China-based accessory vendor.

"A single photo of a purported charge and sync cable for the next-generation iPhone has appeared online. A representative of Veister.com alerted iLounge to the picture, which has been posted to Twitter," reported iLounge.

The leaked image shows a smaller more compact design than that of its predecessors and sports an eight-pin dock connector instead of the current 30-pin one.

"The cable appears to be highly similar to past Apple cables, with a full-sized USB plug on one end and what appears to be Apple's newly shrunken 8-pin connector on the other," stated iLounge.

The new USB cable design validates the circulating dock connector rumors that the iPhone 5 will have an 8-pin and not 30-pin dock connector. The purported shift to a smaller dock connector had sparked concerns that all existing iAccessories would be rendered obsolete if such a switchover materialized. Some speculation has included the possibility that in order to counter such issues, either Apple or accessory manufactures may develop an adaptor that will make old connectors usable.

The authenticity of the image, whether it is Apple's official USB cable or a third-party equivalent, remains cloaked in mystery. Come Sept. 12, the veil shall be lifted.