UPDATE: According to Jim Dalrymple at The Loop, there will be no iPhone 5 unveiled in September, nor has Apple planned a September event.
"According to my sources," Dalrymple wrote on August 12, "Apple will not have an event or launch the next iPhone on September 7. It’s hard to say how that specific date was chosen by the sites that started the rumor, other than it fits into the timeline of previous Apple events."
All Things D's Kara Swisher called the rumor an "erroneous report."
"October is when Apple plans to launch its next-gen iPhone," wrote Swisher, reiterating an earlier report by All Things D.
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PREVIOUSLY: According to MacRumors, a tipster "in the know" told Japanese-language site Kodawarisan that Apple will host its annual fall media event on September 7.
At last year's event, held on September 1, Steve Jobs introduced new iPods, an update to Apple's mobile operating system and more. This year, rumors are flying about what's on tap and who will unveil it.
There's certainly the chance that Apple could release an iPod refresh. But word down the Cupertino grapevine is that the company may unveil the long-awaited iPhone 5.
"[W]ithout an iPhone upgrade at WWDC, all eyes are on this September event for the launch of the iPhone 5," writes MacRumors.
Until recently, sources had claimed that Apple would release the next iPhone in September. But an August 1 report from All Things D has turned the tide. Now, it seems as if the bets are being cast in favor of October.
Really, though, it's anyone's guess. Gigaom cited two separate reports, one from DigiTimes on August 12, and one from iPhoneinCanada on August 11, both of which agree that September is the month to watch.
If a new iPhone does debut at this autumn event, it may be thinner and lighter with slightly upgraded specs and a similar look to the iPhone 4, or it might be a completely revamped handset. Computerworld nods to a newly revived rumor about an 'iCloud Phone' with little onboard memory and deep integration with Apple's iCloud storage service.
If we don't see a new iPhone at the September event, perhaps Apple will unleash iOS 5. Back at Apple's WWDC event in June, developers got a tantalizing preview of the operating system, with the promise that it would be released sometime this fall.
Gizmodo remains skeptical that a September 7 event will indeed take place:
This year is a little different though because it will be the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on September 11th; it seems unlikely, perhaps, that Apple would want to compete with such an emotional and all-encompassing event for the type of media attention their product launches usually command.
What do you think Apple is planning for its Fall event? Will there be one? Will Steve Jobs attend? Share your thoughts in the comments (below).
Read on for a look at what the next iPhone might look like, as well as last week's roundup of iPhone rumors, For more speculation about Apple's future releases and plans, check out our weekly guide to the latest Apple rumors.