FCC photos hint at future — or defunct — gold iPhone X model

Images of a gold model were published just this month, though they actually date back to September and October. Coloring includes both the back and the metal rim.

While the phone is unmistakably an iPhone X, the FCC refers to it having an "LCD display" instead of OLED. While the device pictured has European regulatory markings below the word "iPhone," Apple has done this before, most notably with the 2012 Retina MacBook Pro.

The filing's authenticity has been confirmed by AppleInsider with the FCC, so there's no real reason to doubt their provenance.

Rumors of a gold iPhone X were commonplace before the phone's launch. These have unexpectedly revived in recent weeks.

One possibility is that Apple will put out a gold X in the near future to mildly invigorate sales, much like the (PRODUCT)RED versions of the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus. Alternately it may have decided to scrap the idea a long time ago, faced with reported difficulties in manufacturing the X's 3D-sensing TrueDepth camera.

Shipment times have improved rapidly though, and it's now possible to get an X on demand.

The phone is still available only in silver and space gray months after its November launch. The iPhone 8 and 8 Plus had an additional gold option when they shipped in September.