New iPhone 'to be born' next week?

Apple has begun the marketing campaign for its latest iPhones, sending out invitations to an event at its campus in California on 10 September.

Featuring a rainbow collection of dots alongside four grey circles and the words "This should brighten everyone's day", the invitations are confirmation of the already rumoured launch date, and hint at the arrival of its first low-cost handset. Dubbed the iPhone 5C, the cheaper version of Apple's best-selling product is expected to come in a range of coloured casings.

Apple is also expected to use the event to showcase its latest flagship model, the iPhone 5S. The company is holding a separate event for European journalists in Berlin at its Kurfürstendamm Apple Store, where the California launch will be simulcast.

Details may also be shared about iTunes Radio, Apple's answer to the music streaming service Spotify, as it officially shows off the iOS 7 operating system on which the latest devices will run.

Leaked photographs showing the iPhone 5C in yellow, blue, pink and white suggest the budget model will be housed in plastic casing, with reports indicating its screen and insides will be largely those of the iPhone 5.

With an eye on the Chinese market, where Apple has been overtaken by local manufacturers, experimentation with new colours may extend to the flagship model. Reports claim the 5S will come in gold as well the usual white and black options, and will contain an improved 13 megapixel camera with two LED flashes.

Apple stores are expected to stock the new handsets from 20 September, although there are indications the new products could have separate launch dates.


/The Guardian/