Why we didn't see the launch of the iPhone 5

Although it may not look different on the outside, it's pretty clear that the newest edition of the greatest selling phone, the iPhone 4S, is a completely new phone on the inside.

Sporting a dual-core Apple branded A5 chip, boasting speeds up to 7 times that of last year's iPhone 4, as well as an updated camera, the iPhone 4S seems like a step forward in my book.

Rumors for the iPhone "5" have been circling the web for months now, and many of us thought that we would be seeing a totally redesigned device with a larger screen, 4G capabilities, and a whole new look, but there are many reasons why I thought that these rumors were not possible.

Now on three U.S. carriers including AT&T, Verizon, and now Sprint, the iPhone 4S is considered a global device as it is able to run on both CDMA and GSM carriers worldwide. The issue, each of the three carriers hold different data speeds and network capabilities. The Verizon network stumps the competition with their 4G LTE network, while Sprint offers a similar 4G network. The problem? AT&T. AT&T is still in the design process of a network capable of achieving data speeds that can compete with the CDMA carriers, so why on earth would Apple launch a device capable of 4G speeds, but at which can only be obtained on two of the available networks. That would kill the sales with AT&T.

Another reason that sparked my mind while scrolling through countless pages of iPhone 5 rumors, was similar to the one that I came across prior to the release of the iPhone 3GS. The iPhone 4 (and iPhone 3G at the time) were selling like hotcakes. Shelves were consistently cleared week after week, pumping in sales one after another.

With all of these iPhones being sold, many of which to customers on a two year contract, why would Apple change something that was already good enough. True, there is always room to improve, but with millions invested in accessories for their devices, it would only make sense to give them something to be able to adapt to. Apple would not have released a whole new device, being just over a year since the launch of the iPhone 4.

I expect that within a year and a half, each and every U.S. carrier will support a 4G capable network that will allow Apple to release a whole new product in a way that each carrier is similar.