iPhone 5S, iPhone 6 Low-Cost Rear Shell Surfaces

A rear shell that could be for the low-cost version of the iPhone 5S or iPhone 6 reportedly surfaced this week.

The photo was provided by the case manufacturer known as Tactus. This is one of the companies that designed cases for the fifth-generation iPad. The company's photo showcases what is said to be the rear shell of Apple's rumored lower-cost iPhone.

This part is consistent with iLounge's January description, stating that the low-cost iPhone would sport a design similar to the iPod classic, with a flat back and curved edges along with a shift to elongated volume buttons on the left side.

The report also shares a number of other claims made about the device in the past including an A5 chip, 5-megapixel rear camera, and five color options including black, white, blue, red, and yellow. The device is also rumored to have a 3.5-inch Retina display. This detail conflicts with a recent report from Ming-Chi Kuo's recent claims which point to the low-cost handset having the same 4-inch screen as the iPhone 5.

The device will launch on Oct. 15 and will cost $300. This will probably the price for the iPhone without a contract as with a new 2-year agreement it might end up being very cheap or free, according to the report from Tactus. The rear shell is 0.4-0.6 mm.

There is no way to actually confirm that this rear shell actually belongs to the iPhone that is going to launch later on this year. Other analysts have shot down the possibility of the company launching a lower-end version of the device.

Apple is expected to launch the iPhone 5S sometime this year with the possibility of introducing a larger iPhone 6 as well.