The iPhone 5 Is Launching in October, Says Apple Connect

A person with knowledge of Apple’s short-term plans says the iPhone 5 will be announced this October, and that it has nothing to do with AT&T blocking employee vacations during the last two weeks of September in what seemed to be a preparation for the debut of Apple’s new handset.

“I don’t know why AT&T’s calling for all hands on deck those weeks, but it’s not for an iPhone launch,” a source familiar with Apple’s plans said, according to All Things D.

The source declined to offer an exact launch date, but did say Apple plans to launch the new iPhone 5 in “October,” contradicting dozens of reports that quoted similar Apple connects as saying September was the launch.

The source also declined to confirm any of the rumored technical specifications, but it is widely believed that Apple will adopt a radically new design with a thinner enclosure, a slightly bigger screen, more powerful cameras, the dual-core A5 chip inside, and more.

Purported iPhone 5 cases obtained by 9to5mac seem to confirm rumors that the next-gen handset will have a tapered design, much like the iPad 2, or the iPod touch (as opposed to the edgy iPhone 4).

It isn’t immediately clear why Apple wishes to launch its new iPhone in October, and not in September.

Fall is usually reserved for iPod events, but Apple has been forced to push the iPhone refresh cycle to autumn this year, making it likely that its next show will be packed full of announcements, including the already confirmed iCloud and iOS 5.

A new iPod touch is also on the horizon, some say. Apple, however, is showing little to no indication that it plans to revitalize the iPod touch line.

Rather, the company is expected to introduce an aesthetically-updated version - a white model.