T-Mobile Begins Taking iPhone 5 Reservations in Germany

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Despite no sign of an announcement from Apple for several weeks, T-Mobile has already begun accepting iPhone 5 reservations in Germany, according to a report from the German newspaper FocusThe carrier has been providing customers with ‘tickets’ that will allow them to redeem the device as soon as it’s available on a first-come-first-served basis.

T-Mobile, which is owned by Deutsche Telekom, is only allowing existing customers to reserve the fifth-generation device by contacting customer services or visiting their local T-Mobile store. The tickets are reportedly being handed out to customers who can’t be persuaded to upgrade to the iPhone 3GS or iPhone 4, according to 9to5 Mac, with the iPhone 5 announcement expected to be imminent.

While it may be happy to reserve a device for you upon request, Deutsche Telekom is keeping iPhone 5 reservations relatively quiet. The carrier is not advertising the ability to reserve on their website, or in their retail stores. However, Bloomberg has confirmed that reservations are now taking place:

Deutsche Telekom AG (DTE) will allow customers to reserve the next generation of Apple Inc. (AAPL)’s iPhone as of today in anticipation of supply bottlenecks for the device, spokesman Alexander von Schmettow said by phone. The operator will hand out coupons to people who expressly request the successor model to the iPhone 4, without providing the name or release details of the device, he said.

This news follows a report that reveals Apple has already begun training retail store staff for the release of iOS 5 and iCloud, and only strengthens rumors that an announcement for the iPhone 5 is imminent. A Best Buy document leaked over the weekend expects the device to launch during the first week of October, but it’s likely an announcement will be made before then, with pre-orders starting weeks in advance.

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