As is typical with Apple, the firm's unveiling of iOS 5 back in June detailed every element of the platform but one: its launch date.

The release of the OS, which is currently in its seventh beta, is especially important, given it's a likely indicator of when Apple plans to debut the next iPhone.

Five's alive

According to Concord Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the golden master of iOS 5 – usually identical to the final release made available to consumers – will be released to the companies who make iOS devices between September 23 and September 30.

As a result, Kuo claims an October debut for new iPhone hardware, which is claimed went into production in late August, is still on the cards.

It will take around a week for the OS to be implemented on all of the launch units, which have been stored but not packed to enable this final step.

Taking into account an additional 10-12 days shipping time, Kuo believes handsets won't hit the shelves until midway through October at the earliest, which matches the 21 October retail launch date that's being banded around. 

Of course, despite its existence being all but confirmed, Apple is yet to comment officially on the next iPhone, saying only that iOS 5 – which will sport a fresh notification system and the launch of iCloud – will launch this autumn.

[source: Apple Insider]