iPhone 5 set for 21 November UK launch, says Phones4U rep

Brits will see the iPhone 5 land in mid-November, according to a loose-lipped sales rep. When another cold, grey, wet winter descends upon us, Apple's latest incarnation of its smart phone may be cheering us up.

The supposedly leaked information came from a member of staff in a Phones4U store in St Albans, according to T3. Yes, we laughed too.

It's inconceivable that Steve Jobs would lay out his iPhone launch plans to a reseller in the UK six months early. Perhaps the Phones4U guy has been on the same course as the AT&T customer care representative who divulged a September release of the iPhone 5. Only they came up with different dates.

Once upon a time we were hoping for a 6 June launch. While that marks the start of Apple's World Wide Developers Conference, the keynote address by Mr Jobs seems likely to be more software-oriented.

There's quite a strong following for a September launch. Supply chain sources suggest it will be ready to ship by then, while analysts think that's when it will start production.

Heck, we don't even know if Apple is planning an iPhone 4S before the iPhone 5.

A 21 November launch in the US would see the iPhone land on the Monday before Thanksgiving. The worst-case scenario is that Apple decides to delay the non-US iPhone launch, much like it did with the original 2007 model.

What we're fairly certain of is there are many more important people to tell before the likes of Phones4U get a look in. Even Apple Store employees don't find out what's going on until the day before.