iPhone 5C preview - what to expect from Apple's cheaper handset

We rank the speculation ahead of Apple's secretive event on Tuesday.

Read The new Apple iPhone 5S: what to expect

Almost certainly true

A second current iPhone is coming

Given all the part leaks, rumours, and supply chain noises -- including a China Labor Watch worker's diary (PDF) that specifically mentioned an iPhone's plastic back cover - it's almost certain that Apple actually is going to launch two new iPhones tomorrow, breaking from the tradition of just one current iPhone at any one time.

One of Apple's new phones will be called the iPhone 5C

A large volume of reports, combined with leaked packaging, and even mobile network operator leaks have combined to provide convincing evidence that the name of one of Apple's new phones will be the iPhone 5C. What that 'C' actually stands for - whether colour, cheap, or China - is not clear.

The iPhone 5C will be colourful and plastic backed

Apple recently expanded the colour options for its iPod touch line, and has been offering colour variants of the rest of its iPod line for a couple of years, but has refrained from doing so for the iPhone. Since its inception, the iPhone has always been limited to just black and white. However, various leaks from production lines in China seem to suggest that Apple is going to break with tradition and offer the iPhone 5C with a myriad of coloured plastic backs -- something that's supported by the suggestive Apple event invite that beckoned people to see something that "should brighten everyone's day" with a colourful logo.

It will have a 4-inch screen

Various credible leaks suggest the iPhone 5C will have the same size screen as the iPhone 5 and its awaited replacement. Given that one of the biggest strengths of Apple's app ecosystem relies upon the lack hardware and software fragmentation, keeping the 4-inch screen would allow Apple to maintain the status quo within its App Store for developers - an important part of maintaining the iOS-first advantage reaped by Apple from the majority of app developers

The iPhone 5C will run iOS 7

Apple showed off the next iteration of its mobile operating system at its Worldwide Developer's Conference in June. iOS 7 marks a change of guard at Apple, with Sir Jony Ive taking over the reigns of the software interface to match up with his role as head hardware designer. In another effort to avoid fragmentation, and provide the feeling of "brand new" to a potentially cheaper model, the iPhone 5C will almost certainly come running the colourful iOS 7.

Slightly more speculative

The iPhone 5C will have recycled parts from the iPhone 4S

Rumours and speculation have pointed to the recycling of internal parts for the iPhone 5C including the Apple A5 processor and the 8-megapixel camera from the now-aging iPhone 4S, put into a new colourful shell. Apple has set precedent for doing this with the iPad mini last year, essentially taking the chips from an iPad 2 and packaging them into a smaller, 7.9-inch-screened frame.

It will be cheaper

The expectation is that the iPhone 5C will be offered at a cheaper price, somewhere in the region of £350 to £440, as a differentiator to Apple's flagship iPhone 5S. Reports have indicated a cheaper iPhone will be launched in China, in an effort to capture the large market opportunity China Mobile's enormous subscriber base provides.

The iPhone 5C will be available to buy in-store on September 20th or 27th

Courier industry sources talking to the Telegraph have apparently indicated that two different deliveries will be made to Apple's retail stores in the UK this month. Both September 20th and 27th have been suggested, which could mean that the iPhone 5C will be released at a slightly later date to the the next flagship iPhone, or that a third device will see an announcement tomorrow. In the US, holiday Apple Store employee holiday blackouts indicate that the new iPhones will be on sale on September 20th.

The cheaper phone will have reduced features compared to the iPhone 5S flagship

Informed speculation suggests that to maintain a premium divide for the iPhone flagship, the iPhone 5C will come with a slightly reduced feature set compared to its more expensive sibling. These could include missing out on improvements to Siri, Apple's voice-activated digital assistant, or camera software enhancements.

Most unlikely

The iPhone 5C will be a China-only model

Coupled to the rumours of a cheaper iPhone launch for the Chinese market, a speculation indicates that Apple's iPhone 5C could be a China-only model, and that the "C" stands for China. Despite the large subscriber base available in China, and the unique position dictated by its mobile spectrum and 3G networks, it is highly unlikely that Apple would launch a China-only phone, unless it was a modification of a pre-existing handset.

Whether or not Apple's expected iPhone 5C matches up to the leaks ahead of its unveiling, Apple sits at a crossroads at which it needs another home run. Whether the iPhone 5C is it, is uncertain.