According to some reports, Apple might be planning to release the gold master version of its upcoming iOS 5 as soon as next week.

Apple releases a gold master version of its new releases just before its release to the public. It is seen as an indication that the final version will be made available very soon. Rumors suggest that Apple will release the new version of its iOS along with next generation iPhone, dubbed the iPhone 5 sometime in October.

AppleInsider and MacRumors cited comments by Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of Concord Securities and expressed that Apple might launch the golden master version of iOS 5 between September 23 and 30.

Kuo believes that it will take about 10 to 12 days for shipping of new iPhones and iPod Touch units with the upgraded software, indicating that the devise will be available only by the second week of October.

Apple had released the beta version of the software to developers in the last week of August after announcing the new version its Worldwide Developers Conference in June.