By Sam Oliver

Published: 07:46 AM EST (04:46 AM PST)

Without knowing any details on Apple's next-generation iPhone, including its release date, Deutsche Telekom still began offering customers the ability to preorder the handset on Monday.

A spokesman for the German carrier confirmed to Bloomberg that as of Monday, customers can reserve the next-generation iPhone. The carrier is reportedly concerned about supply bottlenecks at launch of the so-called "iPhone 5."

Customers who request the successor to the iPhone 4 will be granted a coupon for when it finally goes on sale. Unsurprisingly, the carrier does not know any details on the device, including its name, hardware specifications, or even when it will become available.

Further details on the reservation process were shared by the German-language focus.de (via Google Translate). The reservation process for the next-generation iPhone is not advertised, and it is also not available in Deutsche Telekom's online store; users must go into a brick-and-mortar location to obtain a "premiere ticket."

The first-come, first-served system allows one ticket per customer. The debut of the next-generation iPhone will mark the first time in Germany that Deutsche Telekom was not the exclusive carrier at launch, as Vodafone and O2 began selling the iPhone last October.



Numerous reports have pointed toward an October launch for the next iPhone in the U.S. Last year, the iPhone 4 went on sale first in America and Germany, as well as France, the U.K. and Japan.

Last week, a file found inside the latest iOS 5 beta revealed that a new iPhone model, dubbed "N94," has received regulatory approval with an identification number from the U.S. Federal Communications Commission. The approval suggests that Apple is on the verge of introducing its new family of handsets.