Ever since earlier this summer when Apple first announced that it would be launching the next incarnation of the iPhone, fans of the brand have been consumed with questions. So far, there have been few definitive answers amid the monsoon of rumors and speculation that inevitably follow any and all Apple news.

So, will the next iPhone be a 5S or a 6? Smart money is on it being a 5S, as pretty much every credible source on the subject agrees on that rumor. Expect an iPhone that will be stylistically similar to the iPhone 5, but don't think that Apple is getting lazy on us just yet.

"Our teams are hard at work on some amazing new hardware, software, and services that we can't wait to introduce this fall and throughout 2014," said Apple CEO Tim Cook.

The most likely release date for the new iPhone is Sept. 10, again, a speculation that is echoed by most of the experts who are closely following the iPhone's release. It is probable that the new iOS 7 operating system will be made public around the same time, perhaps a few days earlier than the iPhone launch.

That Sept. 10 rumor has even been quoted by industry leaders. Japan's largest carrier, NTT Docomo has recently been rumored to be in talks with Apple over handling sales of the iPhone 5S. They made it a point to address the time constraints involved in the rumored release.

"It would be difficult to start sales on the 10th. Docomo is ready but the timing is the problem," NTT Docomo senior executive vice president Kazuto Tsubouchi said in an interview with Japan's Sankie Shimbun.

As for the next operating system, iOS 7 has undergone 6 different beta versions by now, and appears to be on its way towards its final Gold Master release before being available to the public in its final form. Reports are coming in that the Gold Master beta version could be ready very soon, and it appears Apple is moving things along in preparation for an early September release.

The new iOS promises to be the biggest addition to the iPhone franchise yet. With even more computing power and a seemingly endless supply of control and customization in its Control Center, iOS 7 aims to be the perfect operating system for what will undoubtedly be the the most powerful iPhone yet.