I sure hope the iPhone 5 looks like this

Pictured here is the latest mockup of Apple’s next iPhone, taking into account a slew of new and old rumors, put together by ex-Engadget editor Joshua Topolsky over at his interim online home.

If the iPhone 5 ends up looking close to this mockup design, Apple may just lock me in for another cellphone cycle (which in gadget blogger terms is between a year and 18 months).

At first glance, you’ll notice a larger screen that reaches the edge of the device (the iPhone 4’s bezel instantly looks more unattractive after looking at this picture), a slightly tapered back, and a larger home button. Topolsky says that despite current rumors that the iPhone 5 won’t be a major redesign over the iPhone 4, he’s been hearing differently for months. His sources say that the next iPhone more closely resembles the super-thin iPod Touch and will have a “teardrop” shape (similar to the curves on Google’s Nexus S).

The larger home button also serves as a gesture area, according to Topolsky’s sources. The larger screen will likely be 3.7-inches to retain Apple’s “Retina Display” marketing, something that wouldn’t be possible if it was 4-inches (this runs contrary to the majority of rumors we’ve seen). Topolsky adds that he’s also hearing the iPhone 5 will be able to work across multiple carrier networks, something that Verizon accidentally mentioned this week as well.

Topolsky stresses that he’s still not sure if the iPhone 5 will have a metal back (it just looks that way because he used an iPod Touch image as the basis for the mockup), and that the device’s taper may not be as extreme as his mockup.

Corey Daniels, a fan of Topolsky’s site, also contributed his own take on the mockup (below), which may be a more accurate interpretation of the rumors.