Apple’s budget iPhone 5S could actually be called iPhone 5C

An image has been leaked showing what appears to be the retail packaging for an Apple product called the iPhone 5C.

The pic was posted on Chinese discussion forum WeiPhone, where rumours suggest the iPhone 5C is the budget, plastic-encased phone that Apple is expected to release alongside it’s new flagship.

Previously thought to be called the iPhone 5S, some sites report that the ‘C’ in the 5C stands for ‘colour’, which would be in keeping with a mound of rumours suggesting that the budget iPhone will come in an array of colours.

The iPhone 5S/5C is expected to have similar specs to the iPhone 4S. A previous photo leak from WeiPhone shows what appears to be the budget phone in three different colours – yellow, orange and green.

The new device is rumoured to be unveiled along with the iPad 5, iPad Mini 2 and iPhone 6 in September.