With the announcement of the iPad 2 behind us, the rumour mill is turning its sights on the upcoming iPhone 5. And I’ll say I’m not surprised, but a tad disappointed with their speculations.

Let me start by saying that, in my opinion, the iPhone 4 is the most visually appealing product Apple’s put out to date. The glass panels on the front and back bound by the sleek steel band; with a straight black background, the app icons seem to hover uninhibitedly behind the glossy surface.

But the iPhone 5 will do away with the innovative design, says Japanese blog Macotakara, instead taking a step back in design to stand more in line with the new iPad 2 and previous models of the iPhone. This means another redesign of the 4′s redesigned antenna, and possibly the end of forward-thinking design while the company cozies once more into the same old rounded metal backsides for their post-PC handhelds. They will position the antenna just behind the Apple logo so that cellular and Wi-Fi signal can penetrate more easily.

It goes without saying that nothing is for certain yet, but this isn’t the first time we’ve heard they’ll be ditching the iPhone 4′s looks in future models.

[Ubergizmo via Macotakara