If we’re lucky, then Apple may actually be setting up to get its latest smartphone into the hands of consumers in as short a time as possible. iMore claims that pre-orders for the still-unannounced iPhone 5 could start on the same day as its formal unveiling at a rumored launch event on September 12.

Consumers who pre-ordered are supposedly still due to receive their units on September 21, nine days after.

Mind you, this release schedule applies only to the United States. International buyers will unfortunately have to wait until sometime in early October, and iMore speculates that consumers in such markets would be able to get their smartphones on October 5 or thereabouts.

Based on Apple’s most recent product launches, this sort of rapid tempo of releases appear rather likely. While some previous products took several months to make its way around the world, international buyers of the iPhone 4S and iPad 3 got their devices in a more timely manner, with only a few holdouts like China, which took quite a while to give regulatory approval for Apple’s third-generation tablet.

Photo credit: Martin Hajek

Apple’s next-generation smartphone is supposed to get a 4-inch screen while keeping the width of its predecessors. Virtually nothing has been confirmed about it, but the spate of leaked components – which now include parts of the chassis, battery and logic board – has now given us a general picture of what to expect.

With the massive hype already surrounding the impending release of the iPhone 5, it may be a smart thing to line up (online) to pre-order the new device.

However, consumers should beware of completely hammered servers that may prevent plenty of people from getting a shot at the new device.