If you’re one of the remaining few still holding out hope for a new iPhone next month, you may want to sit down for this -- an AT&T representative claims that Apple has informed the carrier there will be no new iPhone in the traditional June or July timeframe.

MacRumors is reporting that whispers of a September iPhone refresh now seem all but certain, with an AT&T customer care representative claiming that Apple has informed the company there will be no new iPhone released during the traditional June-July timeframe which started with the original model in 2007.

“The disclosure came after the [MacRumors] reader noticed that his eligibility date for a subsidized upgrade had been pushed back by over five months and contacted AT&T to inquire about the reason for the change,” the report reveals. “As part of a response outlining AT&T's criteria for determining upgrade eligibility dates, the agent reportedly offered the following statement as fact.”

“Apple has informed us that they do not plan to release the iPhone in the June to July timeframe, though there will be a newer version in the future,” the AT&T response said. “Unfortunately, we have not been given a release time for the new phone. We will release this information on our website when it is available to us.”

MacRumors is rightfully skeptical about reporting such information from a customer care representative, since they are rarely privy to sensitive information such as a new iPhone release prior to an announcement from Apple.

However, given that the traditional April iOS software preview didn’t happen this year, the recent release of the white iPhone 4 and Apple’s focus on iOS and Mac OS X at WWDC next month, we wouldn’t hold our breath for an iPhone 5 any earlier than September.

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