Apple Expected to Break Out New iPhone September 10

The launch of the new iPhone is coming at a critical time for Apple, as Android-based devices are snapping up market share. Meanwhile, the company has been stuck in an ugly patent war with rival Samsung. Most recently, Apple got a leg up in the scuffle, when the International Trade Commission ruled on Friday that Samsung infringed on iPhone-related patents for older Galaxy phones and tablets.

Make no bones about it, though, the iPhone is still a goldmine for Apple. In its most recent quarterly report, Apple posted better-than-expected iPhone sales. The Cupertino, Calif.-based tech giant reported selling 31.2 million iPhones in the three months ending in June. That was a record for the second-fiscal quarter and a significant jump from the 26 million it sold in the same quarter a year ago, according to an earnings statement released in July.

At that time, Apple's new CEO Tim Cook said that the company was "laser-focused and working hard on some amazing new products that we will introduce in the fall and across 2014," according to the statement.

As for what the newest Apple device will look like, rumors abound. Earlier this summer, there were reports that the next iteration of Apple mobile devices might have screens larger than the standard 4 inches for iPhones and as large as 13 inches for the iPad, which currently has a 9.7-inch screen. Others have speculated it may come out with processor and camera advances and potentially a smaller price tag.

There have also been numerous reports that a future generation iPhone will have some sort of fingerprint authentication system. Fueling those rumors, just over a year ago Apple bought the mobile security company AuthenTec, which may provide fingerprint scanning for one-touch login capability.