Though the iPhone 5 has yet to be formally announced, Deutsche Telekom is now taking pre-orders for the device, according to Bloomberg.
Don't expect a splashy ad campaign about those pre-orders, however. Deutsche Telekom will give out coupons to customers who specifically ask for the next iPhone, Bloomberg said. But Deutsche Telekom will not be providing details on the name or the release date of the next-gen Apple smartphone.
But while Deutsche Telekom is the parent company of U.S. carrier T-Mobile, this doesn't necessarily signal that T-Mobile will be getting the iPhone anytime soon. Deutsche Telekom has been an Apple European sales partner since the debut of the iPhone in 2007. In late August, there were reports that the iPhone 5 would operate on T-Mobile's 3G network and could hit stores in early- to mid-October, but no announcements have been made.
The Deutsche Telekom pre-sale, however, could indicate that Apple is about to send out invites for a press event that will include the introduction of the next iPhone.
Rumors about the iPhone 5 have been making the rounds for months; some almost immediately after the iPhone 4 hit stores. More recently, there was an iPhone 5 case that suggested a wider, taller iPhone, leaked prototype pics that showed a screen that was still less than four inches, and reports of fully integrated voice control in the iPhone 5.
In terms of a release date, a recent Best Buy leak suggested the iPhone 5 would hit stores in late October, which would confirm a similar report from All Things D.
Losing track of all the Apple iPhone 5 rumors? Be sure to check out What the iPhone 5 Might Look Like and Six Amazing Phone Technologies We Want in iPhone 5, as well as the 8 Likely iPhone 5 Rumors, and 2 Wild Ones slideshow below.