Apple Hits Record Market Value
Apple is now valued at $213 billion more than U.S. oil giant Exxon Mobil.Reuters

The Apple rumour mill is in complete overdrive with the widely anticipated iPhone 5 heading closer towards it launch in September, ratcheting up the excitement amongst tech enthusiasts worlwide.

Latest reports suggested that the pre-bookings for the much-sought-after iPhone 5 will begin after Apple unveils the device on September 12 at a hosting event. 

Read: Apple Seeks Speedy Ban on Galaxy Phones Ahead of iPhone 5 Release; Samsung Vows Not to Give Up

iMore blog, which earlier reported on the rumoured date of iPhone 5 launch, has now suggested that Apple may start taking pre-orders for its device.

"We've learned that iPhone 5 pre-orders are currently planned to begin that same day (Sep 12), at least in the U.S. Release is still planned for 9 days later, on September 21, 2012. We've also learned that the second wave of iPhone launches, the ones in international markets, will begin in the first week of October, likely October 5," reported the technology website.

If the reports are to be believed, then it's the first time that Apple is opening the pre-order window for its gadget on the same date of its launch. Usually Apple events and pre-order dates do not coincide with each other.

The iPhone 5 was long compared with Samsung's third generation Galaxy S3, from sales to features, with many opining that the latter has outsmarted the former in smartphone technology.

Meanwhile, Galaxy S3 is also the most pre-ordered gadget in the history with its pre-order status hitting the nine-million mark in just a few days after it was unveiled late May.

Read: Samsung Galaxy S3 Sales Touch 20 mln in 100 Days; Can Apple iPhone 5 Break Record?

What remains to be seen is can the iPhone 5 beat the pre-order record of Galaxy S3?

FBR Capital analyst Craig Berger recently claimed that iPhone 5 could break records in terms of sales. He also predicted that Apple could earn huge profit with its iPhone 5, which is expected to sell up to 250 million units in its life cycle.