September 12 – the date is ingrained into every Apple fans mind. The company is expected to unveil the iPhone 5 at an event that may also play host to other announcements. One of those other announcements was rumored to be the iPad Mini, but a new report suggests that may not be the case.

AllThingsD spoke to sources who said that Apple will be holding two events this year – one for the iPhone 5 and the other for the iPad Mini. The iPhone 5 event is still planned for September 12 and will obviously be big news. The iPad Mini announcement is reportedly being pushed back to sometime in October.

Why would Apple hold two separate events when they could pull the one-two punch of an iPhone 5 and iPad Mini reveal at the same event? According to John Gruber, it’s all about Apple not wanting to share the spotlight. The company would want both devices to have ample time to be alone with the press without having to worry about competition from the other.

If the report ends up being true, it’s an amazingly smart decision on Apple’s part. Many companies in the past have cannibalized their own products by announcing another product too closely to the original. A month difference between the announcement of the iPhone 5 and iPad Mini might even be cutting it a little too close.

Moving the iPad Mini announcement to October would also give the new device a little bit of breathing room. September is already crowded with events from Microsoft, Nintendo and Amazon. October will probably be free of major announcements allowing the iPad Mini to receive all the media attention.

The important thing is that Apple will have the iPhone 5 and iPad Mini out in stores before the huge shopping rush in November. They obviously want to capitalize on the holiday season and the iPad Mini has huge potential if its at the right price. A $250 iPad Mini could completely destroy the market that Amazon has built with the Kindle Fire.

Once again, all of this still a rumor. For all we know, Apple could still announce the iPad Mini on September 12 alongside the iPhone 5. Both devices would have enough power to stand apart in the media coverage, but it would be far more beneficial for both if the announcements were made separately.