Another report predicts Apple's 'iPhone 6' will see Sept. 19 launch

In what is likely just an educated guess, yet another rumor claims that Apple will launch its next-generation iPhone on Friday, Sept. 19, which would be about one year after the debut of the iPhone 5s.

German carrier Deutche Telekom first began telling customers in May that Apple's next iPhone would go on sale Sept. 19, a date consistent with the company's recent launches. And again on Wednesday, Chinese Internet company Tencent chimed in with the same date, in a report spotlighted by G for Games.

Such information has likely not been shared by Apple with outside sources, but does fall in line with the company's release schedule from recent years, suggesting the date is simply a prediction.

The new report also alleges that the handset will launch with 32 gigabytes of storage for 5,288 yuan, or about $850 U.S., while a 64-gigabyte version would cost 6,288 yuan, or $1,008. No mention of a 16-gigabyte model was made.

Apple historically launches its new iPhone models on Fridays, and Sept. 19 of this year does fall on that day of the week. The company began selling its latest smartphones during the same week last year, as the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c both became available on Sept. 20.

Similarly, in 2012 Apple made the iPhone 5 available on Sept. 21. But in 2011, the iPhone 4S launched a few weeks later, on Oct. 14.

Apple's initial iPhone release markets last year were the U.S., Australia, Canada, China, Germany, France, Japan, Singapore, and the U.K.

Apple has already followed its recent pattern this year, unveiling iOS 8 at its Worldwide Developers Keynote in early June. If the company's scheduling holds, iOS 8 will become available just a few days before the launch of an "iPhone 6." Apple has simply said that iOS 8 will be available later this year.

"iPhone 6" and "iPhone 6c" concepts by Martin Hajek.

Another rumor from earlier this year claimed that Apple was already restricting retail employee time off for the month of September. Apple is expected to have a busy fall, with an anticipated iPhone update that is rumored to come in two sizes of 4.7 inches and 5.5 inches, as well as new iPads, a redesigned MacBook Air with Retina display, a new Apple TV, and a wrist-worn "iWatch."

Apple's "iPhone 6" is expected to be a complete redesign of the company's handset, featuring a thinner frame and a relocation of the lock/wake button to the upper right side of the device. One report this week claimed that the larger 5.5-inch variant will gain optical image stabilization for its camera, while the 4.7-inch version will not include that feature. The new handsets are also expected to sport a faster next-generation "A8" processor and will run iOS 8.