SAN FRANCISCO - The iPhone C, a budget version of the Apple smartphone, will be made of scratch-resistant materials, according to reports.

And the iPhone 5S, expected to be unveiled next month, will come with a dual LED flash to improve photo quality, according to the same article on the Chinese fan site Apple Daily.

A video on the website showed a reporter putting what is claimed to be the case of the low-cost iPhone C – which is expected to be Apple’s next move in an attempt to break into emerging markets - inside a bag of keys and coins before shaking it.

He then tries to scratch the casing directly with a key but is unable to.

Photos of brightly-coloured cases similar to those featured in the video have already been leaked online, leading some to suggest that the ‘C’ in the anticipated iPhone C stands for ‘colour’.

The higher-end iPhone 5S will be slightly thicker than the current iPhone 5, the Chinese report also claimed.

Rumours reported by the Daily Telegraph earlier this week also claimed that the iPhone 5S would be available in a ‘champagne’ gold colour.

Until now, Apple has only offered the iPhone in black and white, (or ‘slate’ and ‘silver’ for the iPhone 5). However, a report in TechCrunch claimed that Apple plans to add a gold colour option for the forthcoming smartphone, citing multiple sources.

A gold iPhone would likely do well in the Chinese and Indian Markets, where the colour is very popular. Once considered gaudy, gold is now reportedly one of the most popular after-market colour adjustments for current iPhones.

The device is unlikely to be “a totally blinged-out gold,” according to TechCrunch’s MG Siegler, but a more subtle “champagne” colour - similar to the previously released gold iPod Mini.

The iPhone 5S is also expected to come with a form of fingerprint scanner, a rumour which has been circulating online since a developer found plans for biometric scanning in a folder in the iOS7 beta, the operating system any new handsets will carry.

Reports earlier in the month suggested the iPhone C and iPhone 5S would be launched at the same event on September 10. AGENCIES