Leaked photos add boost to rumours that cheaper iPhone is coming soon

The persistent rumours of a low-cost iPhone have received a boost with a leaked photo allegedly showing the retail packaging of the 'iPhone 5C' being released by a Chinese website.

The image is the latest in a series of leaks of other parts and plastic shells rumoured to be components of a cheaper version of the iPhone being planned for Apple.

[caption id="attachment_993651" align="alignleft" width="428"] Leaked photo from Weiphone website[/caption]

The images appeared on the Chinese WeiPhone discussion forum this weekend. Theories as usual are swarming all over the net, but one of the more popular theories seems to be that the 'C' in the name stands for 'colour', since the uniting theme behind the leaked photos seems that the new iPhone will be available in different colours.

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Another earlier image leak had shown the alleged volume locker and lock switched pieces of the cheaper phone. They had plastic casings and appeared in a variety of colours, such as yellow, blue, red and green.

Besides this, website Cult of Mac and a German blog reported over the weekend (as did the Huffington Post) that the release date of the new iPhone 5S might be just a month away, reports that were quickly refuted by The Loop website. German blog iFun said they received the information from a "very credible source." The site also said to expect "two new device types, and this doesn't mean two different color or memory variations."

On the other hand, PhoneArena reported that Apple might be planning to introduce the iPhone 5C along with the iPhone 5S on a September 18 event, with the actual launch taking place on 27 September.