Apple fans eagerly awaiting the next iteration of the company's iPhone may not have to wait much longer, as a Reuters report today suggested the iPhone 5 will be going into production this July.

Citing “three people familiar with the matter”, Reuters reported that the iPhone 5 is likely to begin shipping this September.

The upcoming iPhone 5 has already stepped away from the Apple norm, with the company traditionally following a summer iPhone release schedule (falling between June and August).

The iPhone 5 will reportedly feature a larger display than its predecessors, with the usual 3.5” display enlarged to a 4” “edge-to-edge” screen. It's also expected that the iPhone 5 will feature Apple's A5 processor and will sport an improved 8 MP camera.

Apple's iPhone 4 has generally been regarded as a resounding success by the smartphone community, and the new iteration is expected to be eagerly gobbled up by iPhone users once it's released.

Apple has been keeping news surrounding the iPhone 5 very quiet, apparently learning their lesson from the slew of leaks (including a prototype gone missing), which occurred before last year's iPhone 4 release. We also hope that Steve Jobs will not again have to tell the public that “you’re holding it wrong,” referring of course to the Antennagate scandal that plagued the previous release.

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