Why Apple really has to get the next iPhone right

Apple's under a lot of pressure to deliver on its next generation of
the iPhone -- the iPhone 6, if the company keeps to its naming scheme.
And it's not only because it's under some customer pressure to wow with
the next iPhone.

The iPhone is the most important piece in the
Apple solar system. How important, you ask? Since it was first released
in 2007, the iPhone has more or less taken over the company. Just take a
look:

This generation's launch is particularly important for the
company, because many of the Apple faithful sat out the last round of
upgrades -- opting to hold on to their iPhone 4 or 4S models -- and are
itching for a new model. Apple is set to report its third-quarter
earnings after the market closes Tuesday, and some analysts are
cautioning that iPhone numbers will be pretty low, as people hold off
buying the iPhone 5c and 5s ahead of the expected fall refresh.

That
new model is expected to have a larger screen than its current 4-inch
display, in order to keep up with the competition and with consumer
appetites for watching video. In fact, rumor has it that there may
actually be two models of larger-screened phones in the works, one with a
4.7-inch screen and one with a 5.5-inch screen.

To deal with the
expected demand and make sure it produces enough of both models, Apple
has reportedly asked its suppliers to produce at least 70 million phones
for the fall —  as opposed to the initial 50-60 million order the
company placed for the 5s and 5c, the  Wall Street  Journal reported Tuesday.