(Reuters) - Apple Inc looks set to unveil a new iPhone on
Tuesday after a 15-month hiatus, hoping to fend off hard-
charging rivals running Google Inc's Android and safeguard
its lead with the fifth incarnation of the iconic device. Newly
appointed CEO Tim Cook will do the honors this time from Apple's
headquarters, running the first major product launch in years without
impresario Steve Jobs as he tries to take Apple to still-loftier
heights. The iPhone 5 -- expected to be faster, thinner and
larger-screened -- would
arrive just in time for the crucial holiday shopping season. It should sustain
Apple's smartphone momentum and help ward off a challenge from close
runner-up Samsung Electronics. Apple launches are some of the hottest
events on the tech calendar,
scrutinized by fans, investors, the media and industry insiders alike.
Tuesday's "Let's talk iPhone" show, starting at 1 pm Eastern time, will mark
Cook's unofficial debut since taking over from co-founder Jobs in
August. Some shareholders and analysts expect a cameo appearance by
Jobs, now
chairman, though a no-show would not be a major disappointment. With
the launch of the new phone, Apple faces the challenge of surpassing
the popularity of its current iPhone 4, a 15-month-old model and bona fide
hit with more than 20 million sold in the third quarter ended June 25.
Some on Wall Street also expect the company to unveil a cheaper model
tailor-made for the fast-growing Asian market, one of the few arenas where
Apple can accelerate its growth. "We expect improved processing power
and camera capabilities, with a
potential bump in RAM, though that may not be needed with iCloud," said
William Power, analyst with Baird Equity Research. "Various sources
have suggested that Apple will debut more robust voice
control functionality," he added. The new iPhone is also expected to
come loaded with the updated iOS5
software that Apple unveiled in June. Some of the new features include
improved notification functions and better Twitter integration. The
iPhone -- still the gold standard in the smartphone market -- has been
a
huge success since it debuted in 2007, transforming it into one of the world's
leading consumer electronics powerhouses. But it faces stiff
competition from phones based on Google's Android
operating system, which led the U.S. market with a 43 percent share, Nielsen
data show. The iPhone was No. 2 with 28 percent. Globally, according
to IHS iSuppli, iPhone shipments climbed 9.1 percent in
the second quarter while Nokia's plummeted more than 30 percent, handing
the top spot to Apple with a market share of 18.4 percent. Samsung, whose
shipments grew even faster, is coming on strong with a global market share
of 17.8 percent. The iPhone 4 pricing starts at $199 and is available
on the networks of AT&T Inc and Verizon
Wireless, a venture of Verizon Communications Inc and Vodafone Group
Plc. Many analysts expect
Sprint will become the third U.S. operator to sell the iPhone when the
next version is launched.