Here's Why Apple Isn't Likely to Launch New iPhone Model on August 7th

Perhaps you've heard the rumor that Apple is getting ready to launch its new iPhone device on August 7th (or thereabouts depending on which rumor mill you happened to walk by). No? Let us clue you in on the latest chatter. A website is claiming to have "exclusively" learned via a "reliable industry source" that Apple plans on releasing the iPhone 5 exactly three weeks from today, and while that's within the realm of possibility, it's not very likely. Let's look at a couple of reasons why.

The first is that an August 7th launch date would signal a rushed release compared to the iPhone 4S. Here's a look at past iPhone release dates:

• iPhone (original): June 29, 2007
• iPhone 3G: July 11, 2008
• iPhone 3GS: June 19, 2009
• iPhone 4 (GSM): June 24, 2010
• iPhone 4 (CDMA): February 10, 2011
• iPhone 4 (White -- GSM and CDMA): April 28, 2011
• iPhone 4S: October 14, 2011

An iPhone 5 launch three weeks from now would mean that Apple waited less than 8 months since the last major iPhone release, which feels slightly rushed compared to previous launches (though not by much).

More importantly, however, Apple said iOS 6 will ship this fall. Launching the iPhone 5 in advance of iOS 6 is a strategy Apple probably won't employ.

The bottom line? Sit tight if you're holding out for an iPhone 5. It's coming, just probably not in three weeks.