Apple’s next generation of iPhone will be introduced on October 4, according to source of AllThingsD.

The source also added that Apple’s plan is now to make the new device available for purchase within a few weeks after the announcement

And while the iPhone 5 is a much-anticipated handset, the event itself has a lot more importance for Apple than many previous ones. That’s because it will be newly installed CEO Tim Cook’s first big product introduction.

Like Jobs’s right-hand man and chosen successor, Cook is expected to be the main presenter at all big Apple media events going forward.

What will be interesting to see, of course, is if Jobs himself will also make an appearance, which is something that is likely to be determined by his health, in a decision that will be made very close to the event, the report says.