Rumor Has It Apple is Planning a Gold iPhone 5S

Similar to Midas, nearly everything Apple touches these days turns to gold. Figuratively, of course, though also in a somewhat literal sense if the rumors about a gold iPhone 5S turn out to be true. A gold iPhone 5S is way on the opposite end of the spectrum of earlier rumors suggesting Apple may release a line of low-cost iPhone models made of polycarbonate plastic.

Why gold? The obvious answer is that it's a symbol of luxury. Plus, it's apparently one of the "easiest colors to anodize onto an iPhone," according to Rene Ritchie of iMore. If Apple is indeed venturing away from offering just black and white models (the polycarbonate iPhones are rumored to ship in various color options similar to the newest iPod touch models), then the question becomes, why not a gold option?

Gold iPhone
Image Source: GoldGenie.com

Some might view it as tacky or too far over the top, even for Apple, but that can be rectified by using a lighter shade of gold and being selective in which parts of the phone are blinged out. Either way, there will be buyers, and as TechCrunch points out, gold is a popular color option in Chinese and Indian markets.