Last year we saw Apple unveil the iPhone 4S in early October, making it the first time that the Cupertino firm had launched a new handset in the autumn season. Now a new report has surfaced claiming that Apple will again select that timeframe for the release of the next iPhone. According to a "reliable source" speaking to Japanese site Macotakara, Apple is currently aiming for a September or October launch of its new iPhone, a window of time that the site believes Apple could continue to use for iPhone releases for quite a while.

That's not the only report of a possible fall debut for the iPhone 5 that's surfaced, as MacRumors has added that it's heard from a supplier that's provided iPhone parts in the past that Apple's current order schedule indicate that a September launch for the new iOS handset is possible. Additionally, last week the folks at iMore mentioned in the same report about the iPad 3's March arrival that an LTE-enabled iPhone 5 may be landing in October.

As with other Apple rumors — and all rumors in general, really — it's worth taking these reports with a grain or two of your favorite salt. That said, a September-October release for the next iPhone would seemingly make sense. Not only would that give the iPhone 4S a full year on the market, but it would also help to space out Apple's major launches for the year, with the new iPad coming next month, OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion in the summer and the new iPhone in the fall. What do you all think? Will Apple take the wraps off of its fresh iPhone in the autumn or will the company opt for different time of year?

Via MacRumors, iMore, Macotakara