We figured that the next iPhone would be released some time in the fall, and then it looked like we narrowed it down to September. Now, there is further evidence that the iPhone 5 release date will be September, thanks to an employee announcement from Verizon Wireless. You see, they blacked out vacation requests for the period covering September 21 to September 30.

Normally, the reason why they would black out vacation requests is that they expect that period of time to be particularly busy. It’s not out of the ordinary to see blackout periods for Black Friday or for during the Christmas shopping season. So, why would they black out a little over a week toward the end of September? It has to be the new iPhone, right?

All staff at all of Verizon’s retail stores have been banned from taking vacation from September 21 to September 30, calling for “all hands on deck” during that time. Naturally, Verizon wants to make sure that their stores are suitably staffed for the onslaught of iFans wanting to get their hands on the newest iPhone. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if AT&T has launched similar efforts for the same time.

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We’ve heard more than our fair share of rumors about the upcoming iPhone 5 (and iPhone 4S), but now we’re finally starting to get something concrete straight out of Cupertino. Apple has formally announced an iPhone media event on October 4 at 10am. Presumably, it is at this event that we will be seeing the next generation iPhone officially for the first time.

The media invitation specifically says, “Let’s talk iPhone,” so at least that’s a certain level of confirmation for us. The assumption is that iOS 5 and iCloud will be discussed at the same event, finally putting months of rumors, leaks, and hearsay to rest. That does not mean that the iPhone 5 will be made available for purchase right afterward, though. For that, we’re going back to the rumor mill.

It sounds like October 14th is the preferred date for the iPhone 5 launch in the United States, UK, France, Germany and Japan. This is in line with earlier statements from the Orange France CEO about October 15th being the launch date. The 14th is a Friday, which is the same day of the week we saw the first iPhone, the iPhone 3G, and the iPhone 3GS. The iPhone 4 broke that mold with a Tuesday launch, but the iPhone 5 is once again breaking the mold with an October launch… so who knows?

I hope that the Canadian launch date for the iPhone 5 is the same as those other countries, but the Great White North has been given the short end of the iStick before.

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