iOS 5 Expected To Launch Soon

Back when Apple first unveiled iOS 5, they told us it would come out this fall. Well, fall is nearly upon us, and rumors of iPhone 5 consistently point to an October release date. The iPhone 5, or whatever Apple chooses to call the next iteration, will probably also be running the latest iOS, which means that the two should come out at the same time. And the latest target date is October 10.

According to unconfirmed sources cited by Apple Insider, Apple has been prepping its AppleCare division to prepare for a severe influx in calls beginning with this date. For instance, one person working a local division said that "his local AppleCare call center has been told to expect an eightfold increase in customer calls on that day, and that staff are being advised ahead of time for the increased traffic."

AppleCare calls mainly address hardware issues, as they provide warranty for Apple products. This would lead many to believe that the iPhone 5 will launch by then, along with the requisite iOS 5 and the full range of iCloud offerings.

That's less than a month away, and while none of this can be confirmed, it might be time to start planning your launch day strategy to avoid either long lines at the Apple Store or limited bandwidth as everyone rushes to download the new iOS update.