The most hyped phone launches ever (pictures)

According to the forever churning Apple rumor mill, a new iPhone is coming.

Apple is widely expected to unveil the iPhone 5S on September 10, and rumored technical specs have been pouring in leading up to the supposed event. Now, it's up to Apple to either top expectations or debunk the flood of iPhone 5S rumors.

In the age of the never ending tech news cycle, it can take a lot to get -- and hold -- the consumer's attention. From free food and drinks, to giveaways, skydivers, Tony Bennett and the Foo Fighters, we've seen it all.

With an iPhone release right around the corner (maybe), here are a few of the most hyped phone launches in recent history. And although they came with much fanfare, some were truly spectacular failures.

Apple's iPhone set the bar for all smartphones to come. The first generation iPhone was announced on January 9, 2007, after months of speculation. Apple redefined the phone -- putting a computer into each of our pockets, building an app empire, and launching a mobile computing craze that continues today.

The iPhone was hyped for months leading up to the launch. Did it live up to the stratospheric expectations? Not so much.

Citing a host of missing features, a dependency on a sluggish EDGE network, and variable call quality -- it was a phone after all -- the CNET Reviews team was left wanting more. For these reasons, CNET called the iPhone "noteworthy not for what it does, but how it does it."

With the public perceiving its phones as dull and uninteresting, Motorola needed a hit. When it launched the Razr in 2004, it finally had one.

A thin, stylish device that seemed to spur the imagination, the Razr soon became one of the best-selling -- and "coolest" -- phones in the world. In the pre-iPhone era, the Razr, which initially cost $500, was seen as a stylish accessory owned by those on the cutting edge. Its advertising ushered in a new era of marketing for Motorola, and the company has since sought to tie its mobile phones to a cool, hip sensibility.

Microsoft's Kin was one of the most short-lived gadgets in recent history, staying on shelves less than two months before being discontinued by the software giant. The phone was designed as something in between a smartphone and a feature phone, but critics and consumers alike panned its pricey data plan.

Microsoft served waffles at the launch and laid on a heavy marketing push, getting the Kin in TV shows and other media. But it was a bust. Instead, the Ballmer gang focused development on Windows Phone 7, which hit store shelves earlier this month.

The Blackberry Z10 was supposed to anchor the company while it prepared to reinvent itself. Compared to other launches in this gallery, the Z10 made a relatively quiet debut on AT&T. Blackberry did manage to work in a refresh of its operating system, Blackberry 10. The phone helped return the company to profitability, but analysts noted that sales representatives appeared ill prepared to sell the phone.

The most notable thing about the HTC First was that it shipped with Facebook Home already installed, a start screen replacement that draws you directly into the center of your Facebook world. With a mid-range camera and lack of a removable battery and microSD slot, the First is a forgettable handset.