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Today (September 10), leading technology giant Apple unveiled its latest versions of the popular iPhone from their base of operations in Cupertino, Calif. The beefed-up 5S and budget class 5C are the new darlings of the smartphone block.

As teased for the past few weeks, the 5S will come in a brand new color. The champagne and gold-toned iPhone 5S – referred to by the company as its “gold standard” – will join a white and slightly altered black version of the 5S. What will set this phone apart from its predecessor is a 64-bit A7 chip, which Wired writes is 40 times faster than the original version of the iPhone.

The 5S will also feature a snappy 4-inch Retina display that clocks in at 1136 x 640 pixel resolution. The iPhone’s camera gets a boost as well with a dual-led flash, a bigger sensor, and clocking in at 8 megapixels. For tech-heads, a new feature for the 5S – what Apple calls the Touch ID – will read fingerprints of the phone’s main user by pressing the Home key thus adding a new layer of security.

The 5S will sell for $199 for a 16GB model, $299 for the 32GB version, and $399 for the top-end 64GB version and will be released September 20 in the States and eight other countries before shipping worldwide.

The cheaper 5C has been seen as Apple’s attempt to challenge Samsung’s dominance in the mid-level smartphone market considering iPhones remain as one of the costliest devices around. The 5C will work on a A6 chip and a lower pixel resolution but has the same 4-inch display and camera as the 5S.

The phone stands out in other unique ways such as having a front-facing camera and will come in five colors: lime green, white, yellow, red and light blue. The 5C will cost $99 for a 16 GB model, and $199 for a 32 GB version, along with a two-year wireless contract. Pre-orders for the 5C will begin on September 13.

Also announced was the release date for Apple’s latest operating system, iOS7. Users can expect the update on September 18.

Check out photos of the Apple event on the following pages, including Elvis Costello rocking out for the crowd in attendance.

Photos: Wired/Alex Washburn

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