Apple officially distributed press invitations to its upcoming September 9th event which is almost a lock for when the company will unveil its next iPhone model: the iPhone 6. In a dramatic break from recent tradition, Apple will eschew its usual spot for it's iPhone event this year, and will instead host it at the Flint Center for the Performing Arts in the city of Cupertino. Hardcore Mac fans will recognize that this is the same venue at which Apple unveiled the original Mac a looooong time ago. In order to accomodate the crowds that will attend the event, Apple has reportedly built a separate building on-site, presumably to house the hands-on demo space for the iPhone 6. 

What: iPhone 6 Announcement

When: Tuesday, Sept. 9

Start Time: 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT

Live Stream Info: CNET, The Verge and BGR will all have live blogs of the event.

Apple is also reportedly going to also announce it's first wearable on September 9th, a smart watch many believe will be called the 'iWatch.' Sadly, the press invitation doesn't reveal much more information about what will be discussed at the event. You can view the invitation here, courtesy of 9to5Mac. It gives directions on how to RSVP and also basic instructions about when to arrive at the venue and how to register the day of the event. 

The iPhone 6 is expected to be offered in two different sizes: a 4.7-inch version and a 5.5-inch version. The latest rumors claim that only one of the two new iPhone 6 models will be featured at the September 9th event, with the other following soon after and in time for the upcoming holiday season. As far as the hardware, the new iPhone's are supposed to be around 7mm thin, sport super scratch-resistant sapphire glass screens, and include a near-field communication (NFC) chip for mobile payment support. While Google has included NFC chips on its Nexus phones for years, Apple has been slow to arrive to the mobile payment party, and it looks like with the iPhone 6, that's all about to change. 

The timing is interesting and leads us to question why now? Does this mean that Apple has figured out a way to do mobile payments that will finally usher in its widespread use? We'll have to wait and find out.