About as close to an iPhone 5 as we will get right now. You know, aside from it being way too thin.
Sounds like the iPhone 5 won't support Near-Field Communication (NFC) technology.
We don't know exactly how true this report is, but it's no doubt a disappointment to those who were looking forward to an iPhone 5 with NFC technology. We heard several rumors in the past, and Apple was hiring NFC experts over the last year. Still, if this rumor is true, we won't be seeing it in the next-gen iPhone.
According to The Independent, Apple has told some of the UK's largest mobile carriers that the new handset won't include the technology. Citing a "source close to the discussions" The Independent reports that, "The new iPhone will not have NFC, Apple told the operators it was concerned by the lack of a clear standard across the industry."
That's a letdown seeing as how rumored NFC on the iPhone 5 was for the past year. Then again, this report doesn't necessarily mean it won't happen. Still, Apple is Apple and they will choose to do things as they see fit, whether or not we like it.
If you are interested in some of the past rumors relating to NFC technology in the iPhone 5 or in a future generation of the iPhone, you can hit up the links below:
Apple job posting strongly suggest interest in NFC technology
Apple hires NFC expert Benjamin Vigier
iPhone 5 may use NFC technology for remote control of Macs
Accessories & Apps: Beta Testers Wanted
iOS Firmware/IPSW Download Guide
Legacy iTunes Download Archive
App Store Top Charts
iPhone and Android Resale Value Charts
USA iPhone Carrier Plans Compared
Complete iPhone Jailbreaking Guide 
Complete iPhone Specification Matrix 
With the iPhone 5 not supporting NFC this personally makes the decision to upgrade difficult for me. NFC had me sold. Still using the iPhone 3GS, can’t justify the technological upgrades of newer iPhones at the moment with the added handset costs. iPhone 4 would set me back at least ¬£200. Wondering what the iPhone 5 could possibly offer… apart from increased memory space and faster processor. I
Since this will be my first iPhone, not having NFC is not really affecting my decision. It would be handy to have but only if shops etc are ready for the use of it.