iPhone 5 announcement on 4 October?

The iPhone 5 is coming -- on 4 October. Word on the street is that's the day new Apple boss Tim Cook will take the stage to unveil the new iPhone.

That's according to the folks at AllThingsD. If they're right -- and they usually are -- we'll get our first look at the next generation of iPhone in less than a fortnight.

It'll be the first launch without ailing former Apple boss Steve Jobs. It's possible we'll get not one but two new phones: an iPhone 5 and a cheaper model, perhaps an iPhone 4S or iPhone 4 Plus.

There have been conflicting dates bandied about, but this does tie in with the 15 October date that the phone will hit the street, as bandied by the boss of Orange. If we're totally wrong on this particular piece of bandying, the offending mobile phone editor will be ejected from the newsdesk and melted down for parts, never to bandy again.

Concrete details on the new iPhone will be finally revealed, after months of speculation and unconfirmed leaks. Word on the street has hinted at dual-core processors, an 8-megapixel camera and a bigger screen.

The rumours and hype and the long wait have made the iPhone 5 the most hotly anticipated gadget on the block. It's the most searched-for product bringing people to this 'ere website and even in the absence of Steve Jobs could be the most-watched technology launch, like, ever.

We reckon iPhone fan Stevie Wonder will be getting excited right about now, but our celebrity columnist Jon Bentley of The Gadget Show is more guarded.

The launch will also be watched closely by Apple's deadliest rival Samsung. The two companies are locked in legal combat, and Samsung is reported to be readying an offensive that will specifically target the iPhone 5.