Apple iPhone 5S, iPhone 5C Release Date Nears: From Fingerprint Sensor To Sales Estimates -- 3 Tidbits About The New iPhones

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) is only a few days away from its Sept. 10 media event, where it is expected to unveil its new iPhone models -- the high-end iPhone 5S and the long-rumored, less expensive iPhone 5C -- alongside the Gold Master build of the revamped iOS 7 mobile operating system.

According to various reports, if Apple follows its usual release pattern, both iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C could be released to consumers on Sept. 20, while the iOS 7 could be rolled out in the third week of this month.

It is widely rumored that the iPhone 5S will feature a fingerprint sensor embedded in the traditional home button and will be powered by an A7 processor that is 31 percent faster than its predecessor. The handset is expected to be available in a new "champagne" color option, and will likely sport motion-tracking capability and an upgraded camera with a dual-LED flash component.

When it comes to the iPhone 5C, the handset will likely feature a plastic shell, which is rumored to be available in multiple colors. The phone is also rumored to sport the same 4-inch form factor of the iPhone 5, but with older components to make it less expensive.

With just three days to go until the likely unveiling of the new iPhones, the tech world is flooded with speculation about the devices that are expected to help Apple regain its mojo in the global smartphone market.

Here are three interesting speculations, currently swirling the Internet, which suggest what Apple has in its store to make the new iPhones stand out from the crowd and how they are going to perform in the market in days to come.

‘A Siri-Like Moment’

According to Ben A. Reitzes, an analyst at British financial services company Barclays (NYSE:BCS), Apple needs to introduce a “wow factor” with its new iPhone offerings to differentiate them from rival products and reclaim investor interest, AppleInsider reported.

Much as it did with the introduction of Siri alongside the iPhone 4S in 2011, Reitzes said, Apple could create another “Siri-like moment,” this time to rejuvenate its shares. He predicts that the company’s shares should soar because of the “scope and velocity of a new China strategy and any new features within iOS 7 and fingerprint scanner technology.”

Will the new fingerprint sensor in the iPhone 5S create some magic as Siri did two years ago?

Shipments Of iPhone 5C To China Mobile: A New Deal?

The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday that Apple is preparing to ship the rumored low-cost iPhone 5C to China Mobile, the largest Chinese wireless carrier with 700 million subscribers, suggesting that Apple might have signed an agreement with the network provider after years of negotiations.

The WSJ report said that Apple has asked its manufacturing partner Foxconn (TPE:2354) to include China Mobile in its list of carriers, which are slated to receive the iPhone 5C. According to the report, the rumor about the cheaper iPhone heading China Mobile comes at a time when Apple is losing share in the Chinese smartphone market, and a deal between the companies could prove beneficial to the iPhone-maker in the long run.

iPhone 5S And iPhone 5C May Drive Significant Sales: Analyst

According to Andy Hargreaves, an analyst at Pacific Crest, both the iPhone 5S and the iPhone 5C could increase overall iPhone sales in the fourth quarter, if international carriers, such as China Mobile and Japan’s NTT DoCoMo, come in to play.

“We expect these refreshes, along with the potential for incremental distribution of the iPhone, to drive improved unit volume, stabilized gross margin and accelerating operating profit in the coming quarters,” AllThingsD quoted Hargreaves as saying.

Hargreaves believes that Apple is expected to sell 31 million iPhones in its fourth quarter, 10 million of which could be the new iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C. If the company employs some “extremely efficient supply chain management,” the number of new iPhones to be sold during the period could even touch 13 million.

In addition, if the trend continues, iPhone shipments could also reach 50 million units during Apple’s first quarter, which runs from Oct. 1 through Dec. 31.