Apple’s latest product download is almost here, and the Web is as usual rampant with rumor. Some of the more interesting speculation concerns the launch of a wearable device—the mythical iWatch, maybe?—and a new iPhone that can be used as a mobile wallet.

Ironically, Apple’s biggest mobile gadget competitors—that would be anyone using Google Android—already sell a variety of smartwatches and include near-field communication chips that can pass payment data wirelessly over short distances at retailers.

Still, Apple is the market maker. That means, if it debuts a smart wearable September 9, you can expect to see a whole lot of people rocking a new Apple accessory in a few months. The company’s ability to spur mobile payments is even more significant because it could completely change how most people pay for things, going well beyond anything its Passbook app is capable of.

Remember, Apple wasn’t the first to come out with an Internet-enabled phone or an mp3 player. They were the ones that made smartphones a must-have gadget and digital music a phenomenon.

—Larry Greenemeier

[The above text is a transcript of this podcast.]