Some photos have surfaced allegedly showing the purported Champagne-colored iPhone 5S shell, comparing it to the current-generation iPhone 5 in various shots.

The purported Champagne or gold color option for the next-generation iPhone has been widely rumored and on Thursday, Aug. 22, some leaked shots of the alleged iPhone 5S shell popped up online.

The newly leaked images come from Moumantai, a cellular phone parts dealer, and were published on the blog of a weekly Japanese tech magazine called ASCII Plus, courtesy of Nowhereelse.

The photos seem to show no considerable changes in the alleged Champagne iPhone 5S shell compared to the current iPhone 5. The button layout, speaker holes and SIM card seem to be in the same position and everything else appears to be identical as well.

With the expected Sept. 10 iPhone announcement just around the corner, the rumor mill seems to be focusing on this alleged gold color option for the iPhone 5S. This color has been described as more of a Champagne hue, not bright gold. Various leaks so far have illustrated this color option, showing several alleged iPhone 5S parts with this Champagne hue.

This Champagne-colored version of the upcoming next-generation iPhone is expected to be available alongside the regular black and silver options currently offered for the iPhone 5.

Other rumors, meanwhile, have also suggested that Apple may launch a new 128GB storage configuration for the iPhone 5S. This version would reportedly boast a fingerprint sensor for enhanced security, as well as revamped internals.

If these rumors prove to be true and Apple is indeed gearing up to launch a Champagne-colored iPhone 5S, the move is widely seen as targeting the Chinese smartphone market, as the Asia-Pacific region tends to favor gold and orange color options, according to recent research. A larger-capacity model, meanwhile, would appeal to customers who want a top-end smartphone that could handle virtually any computing task.

Apple is expected to announce its iPhone 5S, as well as a much-rumored budget iPhone 5C, at a special event on Sept. 10. Considering the company's previous launch schedules, the smartphones should go on sale shortly after, most likely on Friday, Sept. 20.