Chinese retailers are already offering iPhone 5 even before Apple officially released the device. Is this a sign that Apple will soon release the much awaited flagship phone of the company?

Reports that some Chinese online retailers have already begun offering the unannounced and unrevealed smartphone for pre-orders emerged and orders are coming in.

Reuters reported that Chinese eCommerce website, Taobao, is already accepting pre-orders of iPhones 5. The site is even publishing mock-up photos of the device along with some of its claimed features.

Chinese sellers are asking for deposit of $160 or 1000 yuan in order to secure units of iPhone 5. The sellers plan to import the device from Hong Kong and US and sell them locally in China. Another site is asking for a full payment of $1,100 up front. It seemed that some people already have the money and reserved a device.

According to Reuters, one seller has already received more than 24 orders and nabbed two purchases in one day earlier this week.

China and Taobao are notorious in capitalizing on the popularity of Apple devices. Last year, Chinese sellers offered the "HiPhone 5," which is a device resembling the design of iPhone inorder to capitalize on all the fuss surrounding the handset.

According to the Taiwan's Central news Agency, Apple will release the iPhone 5 in August in order to compete with the Samsung smartphones. Taiwan's Central news Agency cited local media sources that Taiwanese suppliers said that Apple moved the schedule.

A lot of analysts expected and predicted that Apple will release the new iPhone 5 in October, a year after the release of iPhone 4S. However, since iPhone 4S did not follow the normal June schedule of iPhone release, it may alter the schedule again this year.

Analyst Shaw Wu said that the iPhone 5 will sport three major features. These are larger screen, new design and 4G/LTE support. According to a report from CNET, the new iPhone will be a global phone including significant improvements from its predecessor, the iPhone 4S.

The Cupertino-based company did not release any statement regarding the iPhone 5 being sold in China.

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