iPhone 5 to be launched on Wednesday

Apple becomes the focus of the technology universe Wednesday as the world awaits a new iPhone with a big, beautiful touchscreen and connectivity to blazingly fast telecom networks.Apple has been tight-lipped about what is in store at its media event in San Francisco, but hinted at a keenly anticipated iPhone 5 in invitations that bore the cryptic message Its almost here.Leaks and rumors portray the new iPhone as having a larger touchscreen than its predecessor and say that it will be available by the end of the month.They need to come out with a bigger screen since the market is clearly moving in that direction and they need to give the iPhone LTE 4G connectivity, said NPD Group analyst Stephen Baker.Both of those are features people want and Apple is clearly ready to make them part of the iPhone. Telecom providers have been rolling out fourth-generation, or 4G, networks boasting top speeds for Internet-linked wireless devices.Demand for what is being referred to as iPhone 5 is likely to be hot, with analysts convinced many people have put off purchases to wait for Apples latest.Canaccord Genuity brokerage told investors to expect record iPhone sales after a new model launches, and Piper Jaffray predicted that as many as 10 million could be bought during the week after launch.Pent-up demand for the iPhone 5 is such that Apple will sell every one they can make in the coming weeks, said analyst Rob Enderle of Enderle Group.Enderle said he expected the iPhone 5 to dominate until next year, when fan demand could give way to device-neutral shoppers saving money by opting for Android-powered rivals from firms like Samsung.Samsung has gone beyond copying iPhone to improving on it, Enderle said.Smartphones powered by Googles Android software continued to dominate with 52.2 percent of the US market, but Apples iOS was the second most popular smartphone platform with 33.4 percent, comScore reported.Samsung mobile phones remained the most popular in the United States with 25.6 percent of the market, but third-place Apple gained ground to claim 16.3 percent as of the end of July, according to comScore.Google and Microsoft introduced new champions in the fiercely competitive smartphone arena a week ahead of the Apple event.Microsoft and Nokia boosted their smartphone arsenal with two new Lumia handsets powered by Windows 8 software.Motorola Mobility added three powerful Android smartphones to its Droid family, the first major product news from the company since it was bought by Internet giant Google a year ago in a $12.5 billion deal.While unlikely to dull iPhone 5 frenzy, challengers set bars for smartphone battery life, screen quality, and wireless recharging, according to analysts.