Apple will launch the new iPhone incarnation at a splashy event on Sept. 10, according to a report.
AllThingsD reports that sources have confirmed that Apple is expected to make the announcement -- a much-needed shot in the arm to the iPhone which has been losing market share worldwide to Android phones and notably rival Samsung.
There has been rampant speculation that Apple intends on offering high- and low-end iPhones as well as a fingerprint sensor. Any new iPhone will be using Apple's new iOS 7 which means a big design shift, but also better photo organizing and more versatility for developers, according to AllThingsD.
Apple bought company AuthenTec, which has a patent for fingerprint sensor technology, for $356 million last year. Its intellectual property and patents include a "smart sensor" that picks up the "live layer" of skin so it can read fingerprints even when calloused, dry or oily, and can allow different fingers to do different functions. For the last year, Apple watchers have expected the technology to emerge on the new iPhone.
One of the big rumors is also the unveiling of a cheaper, plastic $99 iPhone, although Apple has repeatedly denied those plans. If true, the cheaper phone would likely be a hit in the developing world as well as for less affluent U.S. buyers.
