A PICTURE HISTORY OF APPLE IPHONE SINCE 2007

There have been six models of the iPhone since Apple introduced the pioneering device in 2007. This week should bring the seventh (and maybe the eighth). Here's a look at Apple's brief history of iPhone launches.

Apple CEO Steve Jobs introduces the iPhone to the world January 9, 2007, at the Macworld conference in San Francisco. It went on sale five months later. It seems quaint now, but the original Getty Images photo caption that day described "a new mobile phone that can also be used as a digital music player and a camera, a long-anticipated device dubbed an 'iPhone.' "

Steve Jobs announces the second edition of the phone, the iPhone 3G, at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco on June 9, 2008. It worked on 3G cellular networks and was the first iPhone priced at Apple's now-standard $199 with a phone contract (for the basic model).

Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of marketing, introduces the iPhone 3GS at Apple's WWDC event on June 8, 2009. Schiller filled in for an ailing Steve Jobs, who was on medical leave. The 3GS was the first iPhone to shoot video.

Steve Jobs was back to unveil the iPhone 4 on June 7, 2010, at Apple's developers conference. The phone boated a high-res "retina display" and a new, more angular design, but suffered from an antenna flaw that caused weak signals and dropped calls for many consumers. In a rare move, Apple held a press conference a month later and offered free "bumpers" to address the antenna issue.

New Apple CEO Tim Cook unveiled the iPhone 4S at the company's Cupertino, California, headquarters on October 4, 2011 -- the first time he had introduced a new product since Jobs stepped down in August. It was a bittersweet day for Cook, who knew Jobs was near death. Indeed, Jobs died the next day after a long battle with cancer.

Apple marketing chief Phil Schiller announced the iPhone 5 on September 12, 2012, in San Francisco. The new model featured a slightly larger screen and a new connector for charging the battery.

Apple included this image in the media invite for its September 10, 2012, press event. Most observers expect the company to unveil an upgraded iPhone, possibly called the iPhone 5S, and a cheaper model as well.