If you’re feeling left in the dark on the upcoming Apple iPhone 5 release date, fear not! Apple have confirmed that the iPhone 5 will be announced on the 12th September.

So far in 2012, we’ve seen great handsets released by the major players; the Samsung Galaxy S3 and Galaxy Note 2, the HTC One X and Sony Xperia T to name a few. The silent response of Apple to these handsets only adds more mystery to the Apple iPhone 5 features and specifications. Taking a back seat against their rivals, it appears Apple have waited until every manufacturer has released a flagship phone. Will an official iPhone 5 announcement this month make the competition look obsolete?

Apple iPhone 5 will be announced on 12th September

Apple have today released a statement that the Apple iPhone 5 will be announced on the 12th. The invite with caption “It’s almost here”  couldn’t be more right, as iOS fans have waited months for Apple to respond to the Samsung Galaxy S3. The 5 in the invite also suggests that the iPhone of 2012 will be called the Apple iPhone 5 and not the new iPhone; a rumour that came to fruition after the release of the New iPad.

The strongest Apple iPhone 5 spec rumours suggest a larger display than the traditional 3.5 inch screen. As our smartphone needs have evolved to watch more multimedia on our phones, expect to see a 3.9 to 4.0 inch Retina Display with a 16:9 ratio; the optimum height and width screen to watch movies on the iPhone 5. Find out how the best iPhone 5 apps will change everything again!

It’s almost guaranteed that the new iPhone 5 processor will be upgraded to an A6 chipset; a quad core processor and Apple’s fastest chip yet. Overall this will give you a speedier user experience and ensures your applications from the App Store load even faster.

The Apple iPhone 5 release will also come preloaded with iOS 6; The latest operating system from Apple. Announced at WWDC back in June, we’re already fortunate enough to know some of the great iOS 6 features for the iPhone 5 that will be available including Facebook integration, Facetime over 3G connectivity and a Siri with local UK knowledge. Add to this Passbook, the place to store all your coupons and boarding passes, and you can almost expect the new iPhone 5 release to come built with NFC and capable of mobile transactions. Should Apple’s latest product be announced next week, all our questions will be answered on the 12th September.

UK iPhone 5 release date on 21st September?

Apple have a reputation for releasing a product just days after launch. Last year the Apple iPhone 4S was available from UK retailers just 10 days after announcement. The world was told of iPhone 4S on the 4th October and UK iPhone fans rushed to queue outside stores on the 14th October, in efforts to get the device before anyone else.

Rumours suggest that Apple are going to go one step better with a release date just 9 days after announcement for a Friday September 21st iPhone 5 release date. Further rumours suggest that September 21st may be a US only release date. The rest of the world, including the UK, may have to wait until the first week of October before their iPhone 5 desires are fulfilled. Should the UK experience a later release date, at least we’ll have access to the full specifications by the September 21st iPhone announcement date.

How much will it cost? Expect the new iPhone 5 to be available for free on contracts of £36 or £41 per month. We’ll be bringing you our best iPhone 5 prices as soon as the product is announced.

To keep in the loop, why not check out our iPhone 5 news wall on Facebook? We have all the essential information including the option to pre-register your interest for the Apple iPhone 5.