As the September debut of Apple's hypothesized iPhone 5 nears, the rumor mill seems to be on overdrive. German carrier Mobilcom-Debitel, who claimed on Aug. 21 that the iPhone 5 would be released in September, is still fueling release date speculations.

The German carrier seems certain of the release date and has begun advertising for the next-gen smartphone, despite a lack of confirmation from Apple. The translated text on Mobilcom-Debitel's Web site states that "In September, it's finally time for a new generation of smartphone to go on sale."

The company page features an image of what appears to be the iPhone 5. The iPhone 5 is literally veiled in mystery as the image shows a red bar covering the smartphone.

"Is it the summer temperatures, or is it the heat from the rumor mill, which increases the fan fever?" asks Mobilcom-Debitel. "Is coming soon, in the late summer, a new smartphone, the world eagerly awaits all."

The carrier also plans to e-mail iPhone 5 updates to prospective buyers. iFans can also sign up on the Mobilcom-Debitel site and "stay up to date" with all the iPhone 5 news.

According to 9to5Mac, the carrier has a "much more subdued public-facing teaser" where it hints at some of the purported features.

"The new smartphone special surprises? Perhaps a bigger screen of 4 inches or a thinner cell touchscreen? The world expects a faster processor or higher graphics performance? Maybe even a memory of 1 GB? It will be exciting ..."

The German carrier is not the first to hint at the release date. Earlier in July, Verizon CFO Francis Shammo, during the company's quarterly earnings call, let slip that "a new phone is coming out in the fourth quarter." Additionally, a few weeks ago, reports citing trusted AT&T sources had indicated that the carrier was putting an "all hands on deck" policy in place in anticipation of the iPhone 5 launch.

Whether Mobilcom-Debitel is simply cashing in on the iPhone 5 pre-release hype or basing its assertions on concrete evidence is anybody's guess.