iPhone 5 pre-orders reportedly set for September 12, AT&T preps for launch

The latest iPhone 5 rumors point to Apple announcing the phone on September 12. Now it looks like we may be able to pre-order it on the same day, according to a report from iMore.

Update 9/12/2012: VentureBeat is covering Apple’s press conference live, starting at 10a.m. Pacific time.

Sources tell the site that Apple is still planning to release the iPhone 5 on September 21, with an international release to follow in the first week of October.

iMore was one of the first sites to report that Apple would be introducing a smaller dock connector on the new iPhone, which has since been corroborated by other outlets and leaked designs.

While the pre-order date may seem like non-news, last year Apple didn’t begin taking pre-orders until three days after the iPhone 4S was announced.

If true, the news could be a sign that Apple wants to maximize consumer excitement for the next iPhone. The announcement will likely be a blowout event, and you can expect that many will be quick to whip out their credit cards on September 12, drunk on a post-Apple-reveal high.

Separately, AT&T is preparing for a new iPhone launch in late September, according to Boy Genius Report. The carrier has reportedly implemented an “all-hands-on-deck policy” for workers (blacking out vacation days, basically) until the the middle of October. All of this would corroborate the rumors of a September 21 iPhone 5 launch.

Apple is also expected to announce a smaller iPad at the September 12 event, though iMore didn’t have any further details on its release.

iPhone 5 leaked case via iLab Factory