How long until iPhone 5 hits the shops?

So 4th October looks like the day we'll be put out of our iPhone 5 rumour misery but that doesn't mean we'll all be fondling Apple's latest smartphone hours later. Come with Stuff on a (quick) trip down Apple launch memory lane to see if we can figure out D-day for our bank accounts.

iPad 2 launch
The second version of the iPad went on sale in the UK 23 days after its launch on March 2. So by our calculations, that would mean the iPhone 5 still manages to slide into fourth base before the end of next month. Time to book your place in the queue the night before 27th October?

iPhone 4 launch
Last year's smartphone announcement saw Apple race to get the iPhone 4 on shelves on 24th June, just 17 days after we got the first official spec on June 7. So a release date of 21st October could be on the cards – plus it's a Friday and in tech, Fridays usually go quiet. For the rest of us, it just means we have the whole weekend to play with our new kit.

iPad launch
The pessimists among us may remember the four month timeframe between Apple unveiling its first tablet and its global release date. Delays meant that it took the iPad from 27th January until 28th May 2010 to make the hike from podium to Apple store but the hype only seemed to increase. Don't make us wait until February 2012, Apple.

Also
iPhone 5 rumour round-up
Samsung launches Omnia W
10 of the best games to play this autumn