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Apple has confirmed a major press briefing for September 10th, rumored to be the unveiling of the iPhone 5S.
The rumor began circulating yesterday that the company would reveal its new smartphone in a week and The Verge has now confirmed it will be attending the event it claims will debut the newest iPhone.
The iPhone 5S isn’t the only piece of hardware rumored to be coming this year, and some claim that an entirely new line of hardware dubbed the iPhone 5C will make an appearance.
Leaks claim the 5S has a 12 or 13 megapixel camera with dual-LED flash, a fingerprint sensor, and a gold-colored variant.
The 5C on the other hand is said to be a plastic version offered as the low-cost option for iPhone buyers, with the added bonus of being available in a wider variety of colors.
While not impossible to imagine, such a device isn’t in keeping with Apple’s brand; the company has arguably never offered any device that sacrifices design on the altar of affordability, and it seems like an odd time to begin.
That said, the luxury appeal of an Apple device isn’t what it used to be with today’s more frugal consumers, and with Android and Windows smartphones available with a wide variety of price points and increasingly impressive feature sets, the company that made smartphones part of everyday life is having to fight harder than ever for market share.
Such a phone could be a major blow to Apple’s competition, and a real boon to game developers who might not be as pressed when considering the virtues and vices of the mass market but chaotic Android vs. the more limited but more unified exposure of iOS.
Whatever road Apple takes, the fruit will drop from the tree at 10 am Pacific time next Tuesday.
