Apple and its partners normally remain quiet before a big release, but now it seems that Sharp has spilled the beans on the new iPhone, stating that it will begin shipping displays for the device this month.

The company's president, Takashi Okuda, announced the news at a press briefing in Tokyo just before Sharp released its quarterly earnings on Thursday.

"Shipments will start in August," said Okuda regarding the 4-inch displays for the upcoming iPhone.

He did not announce any specific dates for the shipment, but did state that he expects the smartphone to be released in October just ahead of the 2012 pre-Christmas shopping season.

Other reports have pointed to Apple releasing the device sometime in September, with the unveiling taking place on the 12th of the month.

Sharp seems to be heavily involved with the production of the device, as the company first announced that it would be producing displays for the new iPhone last year.

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Sharp is one of three screen suppliers for the device. LG and Japan Display are also creating displays for the next-generation Apple smartphone.

In other iPhone news, iLounge, a site that is known for leaking information on Apple products, is now reporting that the new device will feature an 8-pin dock connector.

The editor of the site received this news from an inside source who also stated that the dock connector will feature other design innovations including it having the ability to be connected to docks and cables in either orientation. This would benefit Apple customers who already own accessories for the iPhone since they would be able to use them with the new connector.

Other rumored specifications for the iPhone 5 include, NFC (near-field-communications), a 4-inch HD Retina display, faster processor (possibly an A6 chip), and iOS 6.