A new report is suggesting that the launch of the iPhone 4S / 5 could take place on October 14th, if employee vacation black-out dates are to be relied upon. AppleInsider is reporting that Apple has started denying requests for retail store employee vacations during the second week of October. This has been seen before when a major new device is due to launch and a massive influx of customers is expected.
There are two blocks of dates that are apparently being disallowed. The first is the 9-12th October, at which point Apple is expected to launch iOS 5. The number of customers downloading and installing the new software will likely result in a high number of enquiries in retail stores and at the Genius Bar. The second block is the 14th and 15th October which AppleInsider is speculating could represent the next generation iPhone launch.
It’s not clear if Apple would be preparing some sort of pre-order system, similar to ones that have been employed in the past for devices expected to be wildly popular, such as the original iPad. When the iPad 2 launched last year, the lack of information relating to retail store stocks combined with prolonged delivery schedules for online orders meant that there was more than a few frustrated consumers trying to get hold of the device they wanted. Whether or not Apple will allow pre-orders with the next generation iPhone is anyone’s guess, but given how much excitement is being displayed for this new iPhone, implementing one would be a very good idea.
Apple is thought to be hosting a media event on the 4th October to announce the next generation iPhone, and this date runs 10 days prior to the rumored release. No announcements of either a media event or a launch date for any new iPhone device have been released by Apple so new information regarding events or launch dates is still simply rumor at this point.
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