iPhone 5 Rumors: Apple to Surpass 22M Units This Year

Fourth-quarter shipments for Apple's iPhone 5 are expected to surpass 22 million units this year, industry sources told DigiTimes.

Apple's manufacturing partner Foxconn Electronics is said to have increased its iPhone 5 production to 150,000 units per day in order to meet next month's launch, according to the DigiTimes' industry sources.

Apple was to launch the fifth-generation iPhone this summer.

Now rumors are that Foxconn will ship between 5 million and 6 million iPhone 5 handsets this month. It is also estimated that Apple will ship between 86.4 million and 95 million iPhone smartphones this year.

According to the DigiTimes article, Pegatron Technology has landed about 15 percent of iPhone 5 orders from Apple, but the company may not begin shipping until 2012.

Leaked documents from Best Buy stated that preorders for the iPhone 5 will begin this week in time for a release date the first week of October. Sprint is expected to carry the phone for the first time when it launches, a leaked report to BGR.com states.

German carrier Deutsche Telekom is reportedly already selling the iPhone 5. Bloomberg on Monday reproted that beginning this week, subscribers may start reserving Apple's iPhone 5 smartphone. Customers who make reservations for the device will get coupons, even though there are only speculations about its release date.

Also read: iPhone 5 Release Date: Sprint Internal Memo Confirms October Launch? [MEMO]