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iPhone 5C in the pink in new Lumia-esque leaked pics

Apple's low-cost new iPhone has popped up in new leaked pics that appear to show the budget blower in some familiar Nokia-like pastel shades.

Nick Hide Managing copy editor
Nick manages CNET's advice copy desk from Springfield, Virginia. He's worked at CNET since 2005.
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Apple's low-cost new iPhone, widely known as the iPhone 5C, has popped up again in new leaked pics from China that appear to show the budget blower in its final retail packaging -- and a charming shade of pink.

The pic was spotted by Apple blog 9to5Mac on Chinese site iApps.im, which subsequently posted iPhones in the same boxes, but in equally cheery pastel hues of blue and yellow, and white too.

If these are the real colours the new plastic iPhone will come in -- and take these pics with a pinch of salt, as always -- then they're taking aim at Nokia's lovely Lumias. Have the fellows from Finland got Apple spooked? The Lumia 520 and 620 are really cheap and proving popular.

Another thing worth pointing out is the iPod touch-style boxes. While iPhones have traditionally come in austere black or white, a brightly coloured plastic iPhone is following in the well-worn footsteps of Apple's MP3 players. The iPod nano, for example, comes in all of the shades shown above.

The iPhone 5C is strongly expected to be unveiled next week at an Apple event on 10 September, alongside a more expensive iPhone 5S -- the standard yearly upgrade, but possibly also available in a fizzy new champagne gold colour. New iPads may also be on show, but they usually have their own event in October.

Analysts reckon a 5C could cost around $400-500, or about £300-350 if you bung VAT on the top. That wouldn't be cheap enough to worry the likes of the Lumia 520, which you can bag for not much more than £100 these days. If you're not bothered about apps, which the Lumia's Windows Phone software still lags on, then Nokia could well be offering better value this Christmas.

Would you plump for a Lumia or a cheap iPhone? What colour do you fancy? Fill me in in the comments below, or over on our multi-coloured Facebook page.

Image credit: iApps.im