This excerpt is from an internal email, from Steve Jobs to Phil Schiller, in October 2010, regarding presentations to be given during their Top 100 meeting early the following year. This section refers to the iPhone specifically, and bullet points the subjects the presentation would cover:
"- 2011 Strategy:
- "plus" iPhone 4 with better antenna, processor, camera & software to stay ahead of competitors until mid 2012
- have LTE version in mid-2012
- create low cost iPhone model based on iPod touch to replace 3GS
- Business & competitive update
- show Droid and RIM ads
- Verizon iPhone
- schedule, marketing, ...
- iPhone 5 hardware
- H4 performance
- new antenna design, etc
- new camera
- schedule
- CONFIDENTIAL
- cost goal
- show model (and/or renderings) - Jony"
So they were thinking about the iPhone 5 a full year before the iPhone 4S released, and a year before Steve's passing... with Jony having renderings or a physical model of the 5 ready for this presentation in early 2011, which as far as I know, Steve attended.
Steve was a great corporate strategist. He was also well aware of his health. If Steve really did lay out a framework for the next 5 years of Apple, I like to think that he left behind clear guidance for the general spirit of the iPhone 6, and possibly beyond to the 6S or even the 7. Perhaps not specific design plans or feature content, but a strategy of some kind.