Iphone 5S Release date Leaked and May Land on September 20

Apple support staff banned from taking holidays between September 15 and 28 in order to cope with iPhone 5S release

A leaked document obtained by an online tech blog has revealed that Apple’s support staff have been banned from taking holidays between September 15 and 28, giving us our first real glimpse of when the iPhone 5S will be available in stores. 

‘Between the debut of new iPhones and the launch of a different-looking operating system in iOS 7, AppleCare telephone support will likely have their hands full. As such, Apple has restricted employee time off for a two-week span covering not only the expected launch, but a full week after,’ claims Apple Insider.

Apple is expected to launch iOS 7, the iPhone 5S and (potentially) the iPhone 5C on September 10 at an event in San Francisco. Apple has yet to send out invites, but this date is generally seen by the industry as pretty much on the money.

A variety of sources have confirmed that many US networks have also initiated a holiday ban in order to cope with the onslaught of the iPhone 5S’ release in the US.

T-Mobile and AT&T are both said to have put a freeze on holiday allowance beginning on September 18 – two days ahead of the iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C’s global release. 

‘There has been a lot of evidence to suggest that Apple plans to release both the iPhone 5S and the lower-cost iPhone 5C on September 20th,’ reports BGR, ‘including an exclusive report on AT&T blacking out vacation days for employees on September 20th.’

The iPhone 5S is expected to feature a fingerprint scanner, faster A7 CPU, a vastly improved camera, and potentially larger internal storage capabilities. Design-wise, the handset is believed to closely resemble the iPhone 5 making the device more of an incremental update a la iPhone 4S than a full-scale overhaul.

Core iOS applications like Siri, Photos, Camera, Weather, Safari, and the multitasking hub have been given complete make-overs inside iOS 7 and could cause some iPhone and iPad users problems, hence Apple's insistance on keeping its support on call 24/7 during the period. 

Interestingly, many leading publications and sources believe Apple will also debut the oft-leaked iPhone 5C on September 10, which is said to be targeted at emerging and pre-pay markets. Both handsets will reportedly be released at the same time – around September 20. 

Should Apple launch both handsets it would be the first time in the company’s history that it has launched two smartphones side-by-side at one event. It'd also be the first time Apple has produced a non-premium smartphone

Many analysts and tech-pundits (ourselves included) believe the iPhone 5C has been created to target China – the world’s biggest smartphone market. Apple CEO Tim Cook has visited the country many times during 2013 and is said to be keen on developing partnerships with some of the country’s biggest networks. 

A deal with China Mobile – the largest of all – could be a huge boon for Apple and generate as much as a 10 percent uplift in iPhone sales during 2014, according to our checks with Strategy Analytics. 

Excited yet?