A joint launch of the new iPhone 5 and iPad mini is very unlikely, according to expert opinion. 

There had been some speculation that Apple would use its scheduled 12 September to unveil both devices, but two respected journalists - both of who have had Apple’s ear for some time - have effectively poured cold water on the prospect of a dual-launch.

Firstly Daring Fireball’s John Gruber wrote, in a piece titled “Sharing the Stage”: “I’m thinking it makes more sense for Apple to hold two events. First, an iPhone event, focused solely on the new iPhone and iOS 6. Then, the iPhone ships nine days later, and there’s another wave of iPhone-focused attention as the reviews come out. Then, in the first or second week of October, Apple holds its traditional “music event”, exactly along the lines of the events at which they’ve been debuting new iPods for the last decade.”

In response, Jim Dalrymple, a journalist who has long been a go-to man for the Cupertino corporation, responded in his blog with: “Oh that Gruber is a smart fellow.” 

Obviously his is all what ifs and maybes, at present, but if we were Apple we’d certainly hold two separate events, a sure-fire way of keeping the Apple buzz going. Two parties are always better than one, right?