iPhone 5 Due November 21 Tips Retailer

Apple plans to launch the iPhone 5 on November 21 in the UK, according to the latest leak, with sources at retailer Phones4U apparently telling T3 when the fifth-gen smartphone would arrive. Although unconfirmed by Apple, the release date would fit in with recent rumors suggesting a September unveil for the iOS handset, breaking the company's tradition of a summer refresh cycle.

The exact nature of the next-gen iPhone is unclear. Some rumors suggest that Apple plans a significant reworking of the coveted smartphone, with a larger display and MacBook Air inspired casing. However, in recent days analysts have suggested that Apple plans a more moderate update, an iPhone 4S of sorts, with HSPA+, the dual-core 1GHz Apple A5 processor from the iPad and other minor tweaks.

Of course, Apple is unlikely to weigh in on this latest rumor, and indeed we're somewhat skeptical ourselves. Whether the company would have settled on a release date so far in advance is unclear; six months is a long time to fix your schedule, and even if this is legitimate information today, it may well change according to the whims of the supply chain and manufacturing process.