Rumor: iPhone 5 pre-orders to start September 12

Apple's reveal event will likely be well timed with the opening of pre-orders

Those who have tried to buy an Apple iPhone on the devices' release dates have, historically, known nothing but frustration, disappointment, long lines, and even longer waits. Smart buyers put in their orders ahead of time, at the first possible moment, and reserve theirs before they're all sold out. But when? A new rumor from the Los Angeles Times puts a specific date on iPhone 5 pre-orders: Wednesday, September 12.

If that date sounds familiar, it should: That's the day Apple is expected to announce the features and pricing of their new iPhone 5. That's a bit different with how Apple handled pre-orders of the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S devices. Pre-orders of the iPhone 4 began over a week after the phone's reveal; pre-orders of the iPhone 4S began three days after its debut.