iPhone 5 Release Date: Preorders Already Available at Deutsche Telekom

Though Apple is yet to unveil the iPhone 5, its fifth-generation smartphone, German carrier Deutsche Telekom is reportedly selling it.

On Monday, Bloomberg reported that it confirmed with Deutsche Telekom that beginning this week, it's subscribers may start reserving Apple's iPhone 5 smartphone.

Deutsche Telekom will reportedly hand out coupons to customers who make reservations for the device, even though the smartphone is yet to appear and there are only speculations about its release date.

Apple failed to launch the iPhone 5 this summer and is therefore under pressure to get it into the market in time for the holiday shopping season.

Apple is expected to launch a fifth-generation iPhone and an updated fourth-generation model perhaps next month.

In the U.S., Best Buy employees have been informed that preorders for the iPhone 5 will begin this week in time for a release date the first week of October.

Sprint will carry the phone for the first time when it launches, a leaked report to BGR.com states.

There have also been reports that the iPhone 5 is going into production overseas this week. If that is so, this could go right in line with the Best Buy early October release date.

Best Buy did note that Apple product introduction and launch dates are subject to change, BGR reported.

Here are the rumored features of Apple iPhone 5:

- A5 processor in the range of 1.2-1.5 GHz

- Aluminum metal backing of the original iPhone instead of the current glass surface back piece

- A teardrop design, like the new iPod Touch, with the top being thick and then tapering to a skinnier bottom

- An improved antenna

- More RAM, possibly 1GB

- Better camera (perhaps 8-megapixel) with 1080p video playback and panaromic photo capture capability and an improved dual-LED flash unit

- Bigger edge-to-edge 3.7- to 4-inch curved glass screen (iPhone 4 has 3.5-inch screen)

- A SIM-less design

- 3-4 internal antennas for both GSM and CDMA networks

- 4G connectivity

- iOS 5, which will be true multitask capable and come with loads of new features such as News Stand, Reminders, Delta Updates and iMessage

- Improved speech recognition features

- Wireless charging capability

- Better talk-time and standby time

- Near Field Communication (NFC) technology

- Panoramic photo capabilities and 1080p Full HD videos

- Stronger gaming capabilities supported by multi-core A5 processor and Imagination Technologies' PowerVR Series6 mobile graphics processing architecture.