iPhone 5s and 5c: all the news and rumors leading up to their big reveal

Ahead of Tuesday's event where Apple is expected to unveil new iPhones, the Wall Street Journal reports that the higher-end model will include a fingerprint scanner. The feature has been widely rumored by Reuters, the WSJ, and elsewhere; apparent references to the hardware have been found in the beta version of iOS 7, and alleged packaging of an "iPhone 5S" shows a silver ring around the home button that may house the sensor. It could simplify security measures on the iPhone by lessening the need for passwords.

Although previous efforts to integrate the technology into smartphones, such as Motorola's Atrix in 2011, have been less than successful, the WSJ suggests that Apple's move will convince other hardware manufacturers to revisit the concept. An Android phone with a similar fingerprint scanner is said to be coming this year, although it's not clear if it will make it to the US.

It’s hardly a secret that Apple will unveil an upgraded iPhone at its Cupertino event on Tuesday. But that one phone could just scratch the surface of what shows up. Here’s what you should — and shouldn’t — expect from Apple’s announcements tomorrow at 1PM ET / 10AM PT.

Apple’s next flagship iPhone is expected to physically resemble the iPhone 5, while including a couple of new features. The biggest of those could be a fingerprint scanner that’s built directly into the home button, which could be used for securely unlocking the device. Rumors suggest that it’ll be covered with sapphire crystal for durability, and have a silver ring around it, which would for the first time change how the home button looks.

Apple's big iPhone event is happening on Tuesday, September 10th, and we'd love for you to join us as we bring you live coverage, including minute-by-minute updates from the company's Cupertino campus.

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We're just days away from Apple's September 10th iPhone event, and the last minute leaks appear to be starting. Chinese site C Technology has published photos of what is claimed to be the iPhone 5S packaging. Although the photos appear to confirm the iPhone 5S name, and similar design to the iPhone 5, they also depict a mysterious silver ring around the traditional home button. Fox News anchor Clayton Morris previously claimed that the upcoming iPhone 5S would "have a silver ring around it" in an interview last month, while also noting the button is convex to make way for an embedded fingerprint sensor.

An iPhone 5S fingerprint reader has long been rumored, and alleged images of the sensor leaked earlier this week. The images appear to show an iPhone home button with metal parts around the edges. Apple's own September 10th iPhone invite also includes likely hints at a fingerprint sensor. An image accompanying the invite includes colorful circles and several silver rings. It's still not confirmed that the next iPhone will include a fingerprint sensor on the home button, but it's looking increasingly likely. Stay tuned to The Verge on September 10th to follow along live as we learn more about the iPhone 5S and any other additional announcements.

Apple may have just found itself a major new customer. After years of negotiations, the iPhone may finally be making its way to China Mobile, the largest telecom in China and home to over 700 million subscribers, reports both The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg. That's a massive audience, apparently reaching seven times the size of Verizon in the US. Bloomberg says that a deal is close to being made, and that Apple is already preparing to ship iPhones over to the carrier. The Journal has heard the same shipment details, however it suggests that China Mobile may be getting the low-cost iPhone that Apple is rumored to introduce next week.

China Mobile's unique and broadly incompatible cell network has been among the hiccups in Apple's journey over to the carrier. The carrier is also said to have been hesitant to accept Apple's traditional deals for supplying the iPhone. But Tim Cook was reported to have visited with China Mobile earlier this year, and it's possible that both of these issues have finally been resolved.

Yesterday, Apple confirmed that it'll be holding an event on September 10th, closing the loop on weeks of speculation — but that's not the only event that the company is holding that week. According to the Chinese news source Sina Tech, Apple has sent out invites to an event in Beijing on September 11th at 10AM local time (10PM ET on September 10th). It's widely believed the company will introduce the next iPhone models (including a low-cost, colored model) at its Cupertino event, and it seems likely that Apple will take an opportunity to introduce the same products to its Chinese market at its event in Beijing.

While it's a bit unusual for Apple to hold a second event in China so close to the main show in the US, there's no doubt that Apple has made a presence in China a priority. During Apple's most recent earnings call, CEO Tim Cook called China "a huge opportunity" for the company, a sentiment he's repeated multiple times recently. Cook has also visited China several times in recent months, with part of his visits focused on expanding Apple's presence in the country to massive wireless carrier China Mobile. And there's been nearly a year of speculation that Apple will release a lower-cost iPhone model (potentially the rumored iPhone 5C) — partially to give the company a less expensive option in countries like China. Regardless of what Apple has planned, we'll be covering its September 10th event live and will also cover any news that comes out of its Beijing event.

After news leaked of Apple's upcoming iPhone event on September 10th, it was assumed the new iOS 7 would be announced at the same time — but now there's proof. Today, a developer named Owen Williams received an email indicating that iOS 7 would be released to the general public on the 10th, giving non-developers their first peek at the controversial operating system. The email comes from Nuance, which works closely enough with Apple to know the date in advance.

The news could also indicate that the release date of the new iPhones will come much closer to the September 10th event itself. Apple could even opt for a day-of release, a move the company has executed successfully with other products, but never attempted with the iPhone.

We've seen strong evidence that Apple's next flagship iPhone will come in gold, but that may not be the only new color choice you'll see. Photos posted at Sonny Dickson today reveal an iPhone with a gray / graphite design that's noticeably lighter than the "slate" color Apple currently offers. The depicted product isn't far off from the white iPhone 5, except here the surrounding trim is black. Images show both the graphite and gold devices together, though there's no sign of the darker slate hardware anywhere. Apple is expected to unveil its new iPhone(s) just over two weeks from today on September 10th.

A Japanese website has published new photos of the gold-colored iPhone 5S that Apple is rumored to announce next month. According to reports published earlier this week, the company will announce the device at an event on September 10th. Photos purporting to show the phone have trickled out online, though the images published today on Japan's ASCII website look far more convincing than earlier leaks.

As previously reported, the champagne-colored device looks similar in form to the current iPhone 5, though the standard "iPhone" inscription on the back appears to be in a slightly thinner font. According to the site, the phone's new shell was produced by parts supplier Moumontai.

The next iPhone is rumored to be announced on September 10th and feature a design that physically resembles the iPhone 5. Though it's expected to have some improved internals, the new gold color may be one of the few physical differentiators between the current and updated models. But while Apple may only be dabbling in color when it comes to its flagship device, the company has also been rumored to be working on a low-cost iPhone that would be available in a number of bright, pastel tones.

Apple’s next iPhone is approaching fast. A new phone is all but certain to be revealed at Apple's September 10th event, and there have been hints that a big surprise may be in store: since as far back as January, rumblings have pointed to Apple releasing two iPhones this year, instead of just one. The first would be a traditional flagship device, while a second would be a completely new model that would sell at a lower cost. Here’s our breakdown of some of the loudest, most reputable, and most likely rumors out there for what the two phones could look like.

Apple hasn't officially signaled when it'll be showing the next-generation iPhone, but All Things D reports today that the company will be calling the media together on September 10th — a month from today — to unveil the device. One question that remains is whether Apple will actually show multiple new iPhones: rumors have been swirling this summer of a new midrange model made of cheaper materials, so it stands to reason we could be seeing the launch both of that and an iPhone 5 replacement as well.

ATD makes no mention of the iPad, and it's possible Apple could be planning a separate event (as it has in years past) to announce upgrades to the iPad mini and fourth-generation Retina models. More likely is that the September 10th presentation will reveal a release date for iOS 7, which has now seen five betas since its announcement earlier this year at WWDC.

Apple's next iPhone has been rumored to include a built-in fingerprint scanner, and code within the latest iOS beta seems to suggest that something is in the works. Developer Hamaz Sood has seemingly uncovered references to a biometric scanner located within the iPhone's home button. The alleged code is part of what looks to be a setup process for such a sensor: it describes users touching their thumb to the iPhone's home button, and watching an image of a thumbprint change colors.

Earlier today, China Labor Watch released a report accusing Taiwan-based Pegatron Group — one of Apple's main suppliers — of committing labor abuses at three of its factories. The report, which was gathered between March and July of this year, listed off at least 86 labor rights violations, including forced long hours, withholding of pay, and safety and environmental issues. "Our investigations have shown that labor conditions at Pegatron factories are even worse than those at Foxconn factories," CLW executive director Li Qiang said in a statement. "Apple has not lived up to its own standards." Apple has since responded with a statement provided to the Wall Street Journal which reiterated its commitment to "safe and fair working conditions throughout our supply chain." The company also said that it has conducted 15 "comprehensive" audits at Pegatron factories since 2007, including some in the past 18 months.

The report contained accounts of undercover workers who took part in a "normal" day at the Pegatron facilities, and within those details was information about some forthcoming Apple products. In particular, it sounds like the Pegatron factories are the site of the oft-rumored, low-cost plastic iPhone that Apple is expected to introduce later this year alongside a new iPhone 5S. In the report's description of the Pegatron factory, it notes that it assembles products including "Phone 4, iPhone 4s, iPhone 5, and low-priced plastic iPhones."

Code hidden inside of Apple's latest iOS 7 beta may reveal a major camera feature in development for an upcoming iPhone. According to 9to5Mac, Apple is testing a feature that allows users to shoot video in slow motion, using high-speed video capture to provide an increased level of detail. By capturing video at high frame rates and then playing them back at a slower speed, slow motion videos often appear incredibly crisp and detailed. The iOS feature is reportedly codenamed "Mogul" and can capture video at 120 frames per second (FPS). While its code exists inside of the current iOS 7 beta, it apparently can't be enabled on existing devices due to hardware limitations, suggesting that only future products would be capable of supporting the feature.

The addition would help to put the iPhone's camera on par with the Galaxy S4, which already offers a slow motion video capture mode. Right now, the iPhone can only shoot at up to 30 FPS, though Apple has announced that iOS 7 will double that for certain devices. Of course, just because the Mogul mode is present in the iOS 7 beta doesn't mean that it'll see the light of day when the operating system is released this fall.

Photos and video of what’s purported to be the new low-cost iPhone popped up online overnight, possibly giving us the closest look yet at Apple’s newest device. The images even look identical to photos published last week by Nowhere Else of alleged plastic iPhone cases. But there’s a twist. The company claiming to have the iPhone, peripherals maker Techdy, is actually selling it. Or rather, it's selling an Android knock-off with the same case design called the Basic Bear.

For $199, Techdy says it will sell you a 4-inch phone with the iPhone 5's 1136 x 640 resolution, a 1.7GHz quad-core Snapdragon 600 processor, 16GB of internal storage, and Android 4.2.1. Incidentally, the colors that Techdy has on offer (white, green, and pink) match those of the alleged leaks, although that’s hardly evidence that either those or Techdy’s alleged "Budget iPhone" are genuine.

It's par for the course these days; in the lead up to the launch of a new iPhone, leaks come thick and fast. Some are as meaningless as a slightly redesigned speaker bracket, while others could have much larger implications for Apple's flagship product. A purported iPhone "5S" leaked this Thursday, courtesy of MacRumors. Apparently a fairly old prototype, the device has what looks to be a dual-LED flash, along with a 5.92Whr battery, which is around 8 percent larger than the 5.45Whr battery found in the iPhone 5. According to numerous sources, the iPhone 5S will be released this fall alongside a cheaper plastic iPhone.

The prototype leak appears to confirm case makers' schematics (revealed by Apple Insider) that point to a dual-LED flash being included in the iPhone 5S. A far larger change has been rumored recently, with Reuters and other sources claiming that a biometric fingerprint sensor is headed to Apple's new phone. Biometrics were rumored for the iPhone 5 last year after Apple purchased Authentec, a security company that holds patents for fingerprint tech. It's thought that such a sensor could be embedded into the iPhone's iconic home button to add an extra layer of security.

Taiwanese manufacturer Foxconn has become nearly synonymous with Apple's products, but that may not be the case for much longer. According to The Wall Street Journal, Apple is increasingly splitting its manufacturing between Foxconn and little-known company Pegatron. Pegatron was tasked with making a limited number of iPhones and a significant portion of iPad minis. Now, WSJ says the company will be the primary builder of a new, low-cost iPhone, which has been heavily rumored in the past months.

Pegatron has had a long relationship with Apple, packaging its first-generation iBook computers. The company has survived an acquisition by Asustek and a subsequent spin-off, and now it's attempting to increase its prominence as a supplier. According to anonymous sources, Apple is making the switch for a number of reasons. The iPhone 5, manufactured by Foxconn, was prone to scuffs and scratches, causing Apple to crack down on quality control. Unlike Jobs, who enjoyed a close relationship with Foxconn's Terry Gou, Cook is reportedly more interested in diversifying. Foxconn, meanwhile, has reportedly been attempting to move beyond its status as a manufacturer, potentially looking at its own line of branded accessories.