The rumour mill in the run up to Apple's big announcement next month stepped up a notch with reports that the iPhone 5 will be available for pre-orders from 12th September.

The date is not surprising as it is the one most often cited as when Apple will hold its still-to-be-confirmed conference.

Shipments of the new handset to consumers are expected to start on the 21st September, just nine days after the smartphone is first shown off to the public.

However, the reports suggest that shipments will be in the USA only, with limited global sales following a few weeks later.