iPhone 5 Launch Tipped For Apple Town Hall

Apple's iPhone 5 launch event will take place on the company's own home turf, reports claim, rather than at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts or other San Francisco venues as was the case with the four previous generations of the smartphone. The event, tipped to be scheduled for October 4, will in fact be held at Apple's Cupertino campus, AllThingsD's sources tell them, though the motivation behind that decision is yet to be revealed.

One possibility, however, is simple scheduling clashes. Oracle is believed to have already booked the YBCA on October 4, leaving Apple without its traditional venue. Apple could also want a more flexible venue should the launch date suddenly change; there have been several reports casting doubt on whether the fifth-gen handset will be ready in time, or if the company will stage a staggered launch with a less dramatic iPhone 4S revealed first, followed by a more significant update shortly after.

Alternatively, however, Apple could be opting for a less dramatic event for new CEO Tim Cook to make his debut. The freshly-promoted exec is expected to take center stage – along with the iPhone 5 itself – and all eyes will be on his performance, especially given the polished presentation skills of his predecessor.

Invitations for the launch are yet to be issued, though if Apple's previous behavior holds true – and if the October 4 date is still real – then we should expect them roughly a week ahead of time. Recent leaks add to the speculation that the iPhone 5 will have a significantly changed casing design and shuffled physical controls.