iPhone 7 release date might come at the end of September, later than people had thought

The phone had been expected in the middle of the month, after a launch date at the beginning

The Apple logo is displayed on the back of an iPhone on August 3, 2016 in London, England (Getty)

The release of the iPhone 7 might come later than people thought.

Rather than falling in the middle of the month, as expectations and previous leaks had suggested, the phone might instead be released towards the end, according to a new report.

New leaked retail schedules from AT&T phone shops suggest that staff will be told to work later on 23 September to reset displays. That might suggest that the company will be getting ready to put the phones on sale that day, or at least that week, many have suggested.

Previously, the new iPhone’s release date had been expected to fall on 16 September. That was both in line with Apple’s behaviour in the past, as well as being apparently confirmed by people who claimed to have knowledge of Apple’s plans.

The leaked AT&T document also suggests that staff will be asked to work later on 9 September. That could be the date that ads encouraging people to pre-order the phone could be released, many have suggested, since the phone is widely expected to be unveiled at an event that week – probably on 7 September.

Apple is unlikely to make any major changes to the iPhone release schedule without flagging it up in advance, since the handset is now such a major work to release. But the company has launched phones slightly later in the month before – last year, there was a 13 day gap between the iPhone 6 pre-order date on 12 September and when it actually went on sale on 25 September.

The company is expected to announce the release date of its new phone later this month, at which point the rumoured schedule might become slightly more clear.

The new phone – referred to as the iPhone 7, though potentially being released under another name – is expected to keep much of the same design as last year’s iPhone 6s. But it will bring a range of changes including the removal of antenna lines from the back, vastly upgraded cameras and potentially a waterproof body.