With the new iPad now safely in the hands of millions of Apple fans around the world, rumors have begun circulating about the next iPhone – often called the iPhone 5, but probably just “the new iPhone.”

There’s been a lot of discussion about the release date for the next iPhone, with most commentators settling on a September-October timeframe. That makes the most sense, as the iPhone 4S launched in October last year, and an autumn release preserved the 12-month window between new iPhones.

Whenever it comes, though, it looks now like the new iPhone is starting to enter the early phases of production. According to a local news source in Taiyuan, China (Google Translation), Foxconn has already begun receiving orders for the new iPhone. The report says that Foxconn expects to be about 20,000 workers short of the workforce needed to meet production, and has begun a massive recruiting push to hire more people.

There are, of course, no details about the orders Foxconn has received, nor any other information about the iPhone itself. Certain things are virtually assured – like 4G LTE and improvements to Siri – but beyond that little is known about the new phone. What’s more, with (probably) six months to go until the new iPhone’s launch, it may be some time yet before firmer details start to emerge.