Apple didn’t follow its usual iPhone release cycle this year by skipping the late June early July window. Rumors have been claiming the next iPhone model will hit store shelves in September, and a more recent rumor claims October.
Reports surfaced earlier this week that China would start selling the iPhone 5 in late October, with a stripped down version of the iPhone 4 at a lower price.
Assuming the various rumors are correct, releasing the new iPhone model in Russia and China so close to the alleged U.S. launch could help cut down on gray market sales, which has historically been a problem when new iOS devices ship.
Apple hasn’t said yet when new iPhone models will ship, or what features they will include.
[Thanks to Bloomberg for the heads up.]