The next generation iPhone is coming out later this month, Apple announced Wednesday, and there are at least two places in Bethesda to buy it.

The iPhone 5 officially goes on sale Sept. 21 at 8 a.m.

Not all stores may not stock the iPhone 5 immediately. However, the Apple Store at Bethesda Row will have the smartphone in stock beginning Sept. 21.

How many will be available is still unclear.

The Montgomery Mall Apple store also is expecting to have the iPhone 5 beginning next Friday, but an employee there wasn’t sure whether they would be immediately available.

A list of other Bethesda-area retailers that sell iPhones is available online.

Your best bet may be to pre-order the new iPhone. Pre-order begins at 3 a.m. Friday, Sept. 14, on the East Coast, so you may want to set your alarm.

The new iPhone is thinner and lighter than the last two generations, but it is taller to accommodate a bigger screen. Apple says its processing speed is much faster than its predecessors, as well.

The iPhone 5 starts at $649.00, but the price may come down to as low as $200 with a cellular plan subscription.

IPhone 5 sales could boost economic growth in the United States by a third of a percentage point during the fourth quarter, J.P.Morgan anticipates. However, NPR's Planet Money says J.P.Morgan's analysis is faulty, predicting that most who splurge on the new product before the end of the year will likely cut back on other spending, making it a zero-sum game. 

Do you know other wireless stores in Bethesda that carry the iPhone? Please leave a comment below.