Phones Review Quickie: Well now it appears that Japan’s Softbank who has held exclusivity over the iPhone for the past three years will soon lose that exclusivity, as the latest word is that Japan’s KDDI carrier will offer the iPhone 5 sometime in the first quarter of 2012 via their au service.

According to an article over on Apple Insider, business newspaper The Nikkei is reporting that KDDI’s au service will sell the next generation iPhone in Japan and noted that Apple plans to release the next iOS smartphone globally mid-October.

Apparently KDDI will start offering the iPhone 5 next year as “ it will take time for preparations.” Softbank shares fell ten percent because of the rumour, while a senior market analyst at IDC Japan, Michito Kimura says, “I’m bracing myself for a huge shake-up in the sector for the next 12 months.”

A recent report has it that Apple is to hold an event on the 4th of October where they will announce the iPhone 5, however another report contradicts that and claims there is a possibility that Apple wont unveil the redesigned iPhone 5 but rather a modestly upgraded iPhone that resembles the current iPhone 4.

So the claim that KDDI/au will offer the iPhone 5 in 2012 may be a bit premature if Apple doesn’t announce the new redesigned iPhone 5, and only an upgraded version of the iPhone 4, although offering the upgraded iPhone 4 would still mean KDDI has broken Softbank’s stranglehold on the iPhone in Japan.

So, what do our readers think about all this rumour, do you think Apple will deliver the iPhone 5 on October the 4th or not, and if not will you purchase the upgraded iPhone 4?