With all the chatter about Google's acquisition of Motorola Mobility, the iPhone 5 rumor mill took a brief hiatus, but it's back with a vengeance. According to insiders cited by 9to5 Mac, Apple will start taking pre-orders for the iPhone 5 in late September and release the much-anticipated next-gen smartphone in early October.
The blog did not have an exact pre-order date nailed down, suggesting it could be Sept. 29 or Sept. 30. At this point, however, 9to5Mac appears to believe that Sept. 30 is more likely. The release date, meanwhile, is fluctuating between Oct. 7 and Oct. 14.
"But with the product’s latest stages of pre-mass-production currently moving along nicely, Apple is presently shooting towards a launch on the 7th," 9to5Mac said.
The blog didn't have too many details on what the actual phone will entail, reiterating previous rumors about an iPhone 5 and a cheaper, smaller iPhone. Like any other major Apple release, rumors have been swirling for months. Some claim the iPhone 5 will debut on September 5, while All Things D insists it will be unveiled in October. More recently, a September 7 date popped up, but with all Apple announcements, we'll have to wait until the actual invite arrives in our inboxes.
Other rumors about the fabled device: fully integrated voice control; a "radical" new shape; an iPod-like curved glass display; and an edge-to-edge screen.
For more, see What the iPhone 5 Might Look Like and Six Amazing Phone Technologies We Want in iPhone 5. And check out the 8 Likely iPhone 5 Rumors, and 2 Wild Ones slideshow below.