As we approach the halfway mark in September, the iPhone rumor mill is starting to go into high gear. Reports are in today that iOS 5 is in the final lap of development and Sprint employees are already getting trained up on all things iPhone -- except the iPhone we are all waiting for, that is.

BGR is reporting that they have received some information from "a trusted source" regarding the rollout of iOS 5. According to the report, iOS 5 beta will be released this Friday, and the Gold Master build will be released a week later "on or around" September 23.

BGR speculates that this indicates iOS 5 will be preloaded onto the iPhone 5, that the wireless carriers will have until October 5 to approve the IOS, and the launch of the next iPhone will be right behind that. Seems to us like that is an awful lot of speculation based on some trusted sources; here's hoping BGR nailed it.

Exactly who those carriers will be, aside from AT&T and Verizon, is anyone's guess at this point. Rumors have suggested that either Sprint or T-Mobile, or both, will be added to the mix with the launch of the next iPhone.

TUAW is reporting that Sprint has already started training employees on the iPhone in preparation for an "imminent Sprint iPhone 4 launch."

However, the report also suggests that Sprint will only launch the iPhone 4 this year, and will have to wait until spring 2012 for the iPhone 5. This strategy would give the AT&T and Verizon a window to lock in customers with the iPhone 5, but would also give long-waiting Sprint customers an opportunity to get on an iPhone now. How many Sprint customers would lock into a contract with an iPhone 4 right when the hype for the iPhone 5 is at its zenith remains to be seen.

Adrian covers daily news as well as the weekly Law & Apple column for MacLife.com. You can follow him on Twitter, if you want to.