An interesting new report from TUAW suggests that the iPhone 5 won’t be available on Sprint until 2012, contrary to earlier rumors about the iPhone 5 launching on Sprint with the other major carriers in October.

A Sprint Nextel sales associate told TUAW that the carrier has started briefing its employees on an imminent Sprint iPhone 4 launch.

The briefing reportedly told the sales team that Sprint will begin offering the iPhone 4 in October 2011 (next month) with standard Sprint data plans; they will include a $10 data smartphone premium that is not specific to iPhone.

The rumor is based on internal memos, and it is entirely possible that the “iPhone 4”, being referred to is actually the new iPhone 4S or simply code for the iPhone 5, in an attempt not to leak the release date.