Apple is said to have begun training store employees on how to use iOS 5 and iCloud in preparation for what is likely the iPhone 5's pending announcement and launch. Both iOS 5 and iCloud are expected this fall and a new operating system traditionally coincides with the launch of new hardware.
Apple blog 9to5Mac got their hands on a couple of photos from Apple's RetailMe iPad application that is used to train store employees on new software. The first image shows a portion of the Daily Download, a newspaper for employees. In this section, we can see that iOS 5 and iCloud are both "just around the corner" and that Apple will be preparing a series covering everything customers will need to know in order to obtain the best iOS experience.
In the first photo we can see a partial date of Wednesday listed but the image cuts off before showing what month or specific day. If I had to guess, the likely date would be Wednesday, August 31. The second photograph is unfortunately too blurry to read any of the content.
Such advanced training could be a clue that Apple might launch the next iPhone sooner rather than later. Initial reports pinned an announcement and launch sometime this month, however the latest rumors point to a launch in October.
iOS 5 is said to be the most extensive software update ever for iOS devices with over 200 new features and updates such as iMessage and over-the-air OS updates. iCloud is described as a synchronization platform between devices and will replace MobileMe. Users will be able to sync things like mail, calendar, bookmarks, documents, photos, music and apps automatically across all devices.