Is this Apple’s gold-colored iPhone 5S rear shell?

Gold iPhone 5S (MacBoutic 001)

We first heard whispers of the iPhone 5S possibly including a bunch of color choices back in January. In the weeks and months leading up to Apple’s upcoming September 10 announcement, the colorized iPhone 5S rumors intensified. Yesterday, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo analyst wrote in a note to clients that he has reasons to believe one of the several color choices includes a brand new golden colorway.

A French blog has posted interesting looking pictures which the website claims depict a gold-colored iPhone 5S casing. I’ve included the image and a few additional details after the break…

Engadget passes along a post by MacBoutic.fr that includes the images seen throughout this post.

Note that we have no way of confirming the authenticity of these shots. Also keep in mind that anodization services like AnoStyle can easily paint the existing iPhone 5 in some great looking colors, among them gold.

Check out the front and back shell.

Gold iPhone 5S (MacBoutic 004)Gold iPhone 5S (MacBoutic 005)

I’m not sure why, but MacBoutic says it deliberately blurred the Apple and the iPhone moniker on the back of the device. For what it’s worth, the placement of the screws along the back of the deviceappears consistent with the previously leaked back plate components.

You’ll remember that the usually reliable Japanese blog Macotakara affirmed earlier in the week that golden casing will be one of the few possible iPhone 5S color choices.

Check out the left and right profile views.

Gold iPhone 5S (MacBoutic 002)

Gold iPhone 5S (MacBoutic 003)

Check out the details: it certainly doesn’t look like an aftermarket project.

For what it’s worth, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo thinks the gold color will be exclusive to a rumored 128GB iPhone 5S model, which today surfaced in the sales system of the German retailer Media Markt.

As commenters have previously noted, the gold-colored option is very Apple-inlike, but if the iPhone 5S is to come in a range of colors like the latest iPod touch series, why not offer the gold variant – Kim Kardashian will be ecstatic.

I love the chamfered edges with the exquisite gold finish to them – the Rolex of smartphones, indeed!

Just out of curiosity, have these shots made you change your mind about the gold-colored iPhone 5S?