New Apple iPhone might be unveiled Monday

Innovation at Apple is on trial -- both in the marketplace of ideas and in court. The company that iterates consumer technology ideas into its own products faces two days of scrutiny over its products and practices in the week ahead.

First, on Monday, the Apple faithful will gather to witness the unveiling of the latest Apple devices. A smaller iPhone, expected to be its cheapest, could be in the lineup. Investors hope a smaller (but still powerful) iPhone, along with the planned September launch of an iPhone 7, will excite sales again.

The company continues selling loads of phones, but revenue from iPhone sales was flat in the last three months of 2015 compared to a year earlier. Over half of iPhones in the United States are at least 2 years old, ancient in smartphone time, according to consumer behavior firm Kantar WorldPanel.

Also on the wish list for Monday's event is a medium-sized iPad. The company needs to try something to resurrect sales, which fell 25 percent in the last quarter.

Second, on Tuesday, Apple's lawyers will be back in a California court arguing with federal prosecu

tors who want it to unlock the iPhone of one of the San Bernardino, Calif., shooters. CEO Tim Cook has called the demand by the FBI the "software equivalent of cancer." The case pits consumer privacy against the government's ability to protect its citizens.

For the majority of iPhone buyers, it's doubtful security is top of mind. The ease of use, compatibility and convenience of the powerful device drive sales. Security, at this point in Apple's evolution, is taken for granted by most users. It's not by Apple's engineers, nor should it by its shareholders.

Financial journalist Tom Hudson, host of "The Sunshine Economy" on WLRN-FM in Miami, is the stations vice president of news. Follow him on Twitter @HudsonsView.

This story was originally published March 18, 2016 at 11:29 PM with the headline "New Apple iPhone might be unveiled Monday ."