“It’s Almost Here:" Apple Announces Sept. 12 Media Event

After months of speculation, Apple has announced a media event for Sept. 12 at 10 a.m. Pacific Time at San Francisco's Yerba Buena Center for the Arts.

It is being reported that the invitations contains no clues as to what will be revealed. However, the invitation has a "5" lurking in the shadows. The text of the invitation is simple, reading "It's almost here."

Many expect Apple to unveil its new iPhone at the event. The device is believed to come with a larger screen than previous iPhones, 4G LTE support, the 4FF's "nano" SIM standard, and possibly a new dock connector.

"We expect the iPhone 5 to be 4G LTE capable with faster processors and more DRAM to take advantage of iOS 6 software improvements," Ben Reitzes of Barclays Capital said in an investor note today. "We also believe the next iPhone should also boast a larger screen, enhancements to Siri, and a slightly slimmer design."

FBR Capital analyst Craig Berger estimates that the iPhone 5 over its life cycle could sell as many as 250 million units.

Before 2012, it is expected that Apple's desktop version of iTunes get a makeover and the iPod nano and Apple TV is expected to undergo some changes.

A smaller version of the iPad, dubbed the "iPad mini," is also expected to make its debut at a second event in October.

Last year, the iPhone 4S was announced on Tuesday, Oct. 4 and released on Oct. 14. The iPhone was released in 2007 and has been revised every year since.

Nokia and Microsoft, and Motorola and Verizon also have big announcements coming up and Apple's invitation comes just two days prior to the event at which Amazon is expected to debut its next-generation Kindle Fire.