Apple is widely expected to beat its own expectations as well as those of Wall Street investors with the help of its iPhone when the company reports its fourth quarter earnings later this month, despite potential softness in U.S. consumer spending. Apple has repeatedly delivered earnings above investor expectations in recent quarters, and may well reveal increased holiday earnings bolstered by heightened Mac sales with more revenue coming from its cellular phone sales alongside a cut from AT&T's service plans. iPhones stand to make up a formidable portion of Apple's profit in the coming months, and overseas sales -- especially during the busy holiday shopping season -- will prove vital to the company's unit sales as iPhones appear on store shelves in countries other than the U.S.