iPhone Rumor Roundup: Gold iPhone 5S, Multi-Colored iPhone 5C

It's that time of year again, when the slow summer tech season makes way for Apple rumors. Though WWDC provided a sneak peek at iOS 7, OS X Mavericks, and the Mac Pro, it's been a while since Tim Cook took to the stage to formally unveil new hardware.

With the iPad mini launch in Oct. 2012, there was no spring iPad event, so 2013 has been a quiet one for Apple fans. If the rumors are true, that's about to change. Cupertino will reportedly unveil its next-gen iPhone in just a few weeks, though Apple has not yet made any announcements.

With rumors of an event come talk about what Apple will actually unveil, of course. Much of the discussion has focused on whether or not a low-cost iPhone will be revealed alongside the next-gen iPhone, dubbed by many as the iPhone 5S.

Like the upgrade from the iPhone 4 to 4S, the iPhone 5S is not expected to differ greatly from the iPhone 5, with most of the upgrades occurring on the inside. As a result, all eyes are on that budget iPhone. But with the iPhone 4 still seeing brisk sales among first-time smartphone buyers, does Cupertino really need this fabled iPhone 5C? Time will tell.

For more of what the rumor mill has to say about the new iPhones, check out our slideshow. And let us know in the comments what you'd like to see from Apple come Sept. 10.

1. Sept. 10 Launch Date

Apple will unveil the next edition of the iPhone at a major press event on Sept. 10, according to AllThingsD. No other details were provided, but the blog has a good track record when it comes to predicting the dates of Apple events. Apple watcher Jim Dalrymple also weighed in on the rumor with "Yep," which - in some cases - is as good as a confirmation. Stay tuned for the invites, which usually go out about a week or so before the event.

2. Low-Cost iPhone 5C

Rumors about a low-cost iPhone have been making the rounds for months, but really got going after an image that showed a box of what appears to be new iPhone cases with the name iPhone 5C emblazoned on the side appeared online. Later, in a report about labor abuses at Apple supplier Pegatron, China Labor Watch seemed to also confirm that Apple is indeed working on a low-cost iPhone.

3. No Siri on iPhone 5C

In a note to investors, Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster suggested that Apple would "exclude some software features, such as Siri" on its budget iPhone, dubbed by some as the iPhone 5C. Munster did not elaborate on why Siri might be on the chopping block, though it might be necessary if Apple goes with a lower-power chip.

4. Gold iPhone 5S

Among the rumors about the iPhone 5S, meanwhile, is the suggestion that it will come in gold, as well as black or white. That came from Japanese blog Macotakara, which also said the iPhone 5S will sport a new A7 chip. While the iPod touch is available in an array of colors, the iPhone debuted with only a black option, while a white version was introduced in April 2011.

5. 128GB iPhone

According to KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple will add a 128GB version of the iPhone, as it did recently with the iPad. At this point, the iPhone is available in 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB flavors.

6. Sapphire Crystal

According to 9to5Mac, the home button will be made of the same scratch-resistant Sapphire Crystal found on the lens of the iPhone 5. "A convex home button could be more easily scratched, so a harder material is required. (Image)

7. Larger iPhone

Apple is reportedly conducting in-house testing of larger iPhone and iPad screens, according to the Wall Street Journal. The current iPhone comes in at 4 inches, far from phablets like the 6.3-inch Galaxy Mega (right). Apple has long insisted that 4 inches is just the right size for an iPhone, despite the trend of ever-bigger smartphones. Most rumors point to an iPhone 5S that is the same size as the iPhone 5. Just because Apple is testing something out, doesn't mean we'll ever see it on the shelves of an Apple Store.