Customers wait in line to buy the new iPhone 4S at Apple's retail store in downtown Shanghai, Jan 13, 2012, moments before the official release of iPhone 4S on the Chinese mainland. [Photo/Xinhua]

Apple is planning to debut the iPhone 5 and iPad Mini at a special event on Sept. 12, U.S. media reported on Monday.

Apple will unveil the six-generation iPhone at the event, with the release date to follow nine days later on Sept. 21, according to technology blog site iMore. It noted that the information comes from sources who have proven accurate in the past.

The report said the iPad Mini will also be announced at the event, along with a new iPod nano and iPod touch. But iMore said they haven't heard a release date of the iPad Mini.

Long rumored to debut the new iPhone in October, Apple is recently reported to be ready to go as early as September. Last week, French website App4Phone.fr said the release date will be Sept. 21, citing sources from manufacturers in China.

Some analysts said a September release date for the new iPhone would work financially for Apple, helping the company end the calendar third quarter on a high note with a possible heavy demand for the upcoming holiday shopping season.

For the calendar third quarter in 2011, Apple missed sales expectations for the first time in five years as consumers postponed purchases in anticipation of the iPhone 4S in October.

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