iPhone 5s

It's official, Apple will unveil its next generation iPhone on September 10th at 10 a.m PT at its headquarters in Cupertino, California. This year's invite reads: "This should brighten everyone's day." The tagline is surrounded by colorful dots that are reminiscent of Apple's upcoming redesigned iOS 7 icons. The official invites were sent out one day before Samsung plans to announce several new products including a possible new smartwatch.

Apple is expected to announce the successor to the iPhone 5 called the iPhone 5S, along with a low-cost device dubbed the iPhone 5C. The next-generation iPhone is rumored to be getting a gold variant, while the new low-cost iPhone will be available in a wide array of colors. Rumored iPhone 5S specs include a faster A7 chip, a new sapphire Home button with a built-in fingerprint sensor and an improved 13MP camera.

Even more evidence points to a September 20 release date for the Apple iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C this fall. Not only has T-Mobile blacked out vacation dates for employees around this time, now BGR confirms AT&T has done the same. The second half of September will also be reserved for the iPhone, with no other high-profile devices seeing initial release.

This comes as no surprise, as AT&T has blacked out employee vacation dates around each iPhone launch since the very beginning in 2007. Back then, the carrier had an exclusive deal with Apple to offer the iPhone stateside. Apple's next generation iPhone media event is widely expected to occur on September 10. Additional reports have confirmed a September 20 release date in Japan and other countries outside of the US.

Less than two weeks separates Apple fans from the next generation iPhone event. No surprise that parts leaks are increasing in frequency. In particular, there are new videos and photos of the graphite iPhone 5S, expected to launch alongside the gold flagship smartphone. The latest videos show both back panels in great detail, comparing the new colors to the iPhone 5 in existing colors silver and slate.

Somehow Apple has managed to tweak the exterior colors of the iPhone 5S while retaining the classy, refined look of the device. It's not clear whether or not Apple will launch the iPhone 5S in four different colors, or if gold and graphite will replace silver and slate entirely this fall. In any case, all of the leaked parts clearly show a pill-shaped slot for a brighter, more sophisticated dual-LED flash.

T-Mobile has reportedly blacked out employee vacations between September 20th and 22nd, according to TMO News. Employee vacation blackouts normally occur around big product launches to ensure there are enough employees around to assist customers. The only known upcoming announcement is the Samsung Galaxy Note III on September 4th, but it is more likely T-Mobile is preparing for the launch of the rumored iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C.

Apple is expected to announce both the iPhone 5S and low cost iPhone 5C on September 10th. Apple typically announces new devices on a Tuesday or Wednesday before releasing them on a following Friday. This means a September 20th release date would fall in place with previous Apple product launches.

Apple has even more surprises in store for those anticipating the iPhone 5S announcement early next month. According to parts leaked by Sonny Dickson, the company will add a graphite and black color to the lineup this fall. This could mean the iPhone 5S will be available in graphite and gold flavors in addition to the familiar slate and silver combinations of the iPhone 5.

Alternatively, Mendmyi claims the iPhone 5S will only be available in the new colors gold and graphite, in a shift away from the colors used on the iPhone 5. Offering only the updated color schemes would set the iPhone 5S apart from the iPhone 5. For comparison, all four colors are shown in the above photo of metal parts including the volume, sleep and mute buttons.