August 16 is the date everyone is watching after job postings placed on the United Kingdom jobs site Reed made strong hints that Apple Inc.’s (AAPL) launch of the iPhone 5 will occur on that date. There are numerous posts in several regions of the U.K. that are recruiting Apple iPhone sales specialists “for an exciting project to work five days a week for the period 16th August – 29th October within key retail stores,” the post writes.
Recruiter Gekko makes it clear that if offered the job, candidates are “required to attend a 4 day training event 9th -12th August 2011.”
Cupertino, Calif.-based Apple has released a new iPhone each year since the first device launched in June 2007. The devices are generally released in the summer and the unspecified delays of the iPhone 5 launch have tech-savvy buyers anxiously waiting with great anticipation. The iPhone 4 is in excess of a year old and several publications, including CNET, which first discovered the job posting, have speculated about a release of the new generation in August or September.
The launch of the device is likely to occur in the U.S. at the same time, as the iPhone 4 was launched in the U.S. and the U.K. on the exact same day of last year.
The iOS5 is expected to release in the fall as well with Apple providing the third beta version of the software to developers this week to tinker with and optimize apps for the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad before a public launch.
