Apple invites media to event next week, hints that it will reveal iPhone 5

The email invitation shows a big "12," for Sept. 12, casting a shadow in the shape of a "5."

Various unconfirmed reports have pointed to Sept. 12 as being the day Apple Inc. shows off the new phone, which is expected to go on sale a week or two later.

The next iPhone is expected to have a taller screen and the ability to access the latest wireless data networks in the U.S. Analysts expect it to set sales records.

Other unconfirmed reports say Apple will reveal a smaller version of the iPad, taking on competitors like Amazon.com Inc.'s Kindle Fire, which have nibbled on the edges of the iPad's dominance in the tablet category.