Of course, you can expect that any new iPhones or iPod touches announced Tuesday will not only support iOS 5, but ship with it pre-installed. That assumes that Apple does announce new hardware Tuesday, which brings us right back to where we started when we began this article.

All of this covers what Apple has told us about iOS 5--but could there be something more lurking in the wings? Rumors have suggested a better voice control system, perhaps even with the ability to dictate text. Naturally, Apple's keeping its customary tight lid on any news from next week's event, but rest assured that whatever announcements the company makes, will have full details and exhaustive investigations of them.