Apple - to release iPhone 5S in August

The new Apple iPhone 5S will look more or less the same as the iPhone 5 but with a faster processor and an improved camera, technology blog iMore has claimed.

It is not clear whether the second, cheaper iPhone that Apple has been said to be planning for this year would be released alongside the 5S.

According to iMore's sources, Apple is also considering releasing new iPads next month. The site says Apple could launch a fifth-generation iPad in April alongside an updated iPad mini.

If the new iPad mini is released next month it is unlikely to have a higher resolution Retina display.

"So, if the next iPad mini does end up getting slated for April, it could be a spec bump, or have something other than Retina as a differentiator. Hopefully we'll know more soon," writes iMore's Rene Ritchie.

An iPad mini with Retina display is expected to be released later this year, possibly in October, suggesting that Apple is considering moving to a six month update cycle for its iPads.

The iPhone 5S is expected to look very similar to the iPhone 5.

Earlier today, an analyst with KGI Securities released a report claiming that Apple would announce the iPhone 5S and a lower cost iPhone in June, probably at the company's WorldWide Developer Conference in San Francisco.

Ming-Chi Kuo said he expected both devices to be released in July. He said Apple would be keen to avoid the delayed release of the iPhone 5, "which gave competitors room to grab market share".

His report said the iPhone 5S would have a fingerprint chip under the Home button, to improve security, while the new, cheaper iPhone would be available in a range of colours.

As always, Apple has not announced any plans for future releases - or even scheduled launch events - but that has not stopped speculation about what the company plans to do.

Meanwhile, Samsung, Apple's biggest rival in the smartphone world, is set to launch its new flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S4, at an event in New York next week.

The new handset is expected to have a larger screen than the Galaxy S3 - at 4.9 inches, compared with 4.8 inches - and is likely to have a faster processor and improved camera.

Another new feature, according to leaks earlier today, will be eye-tracking technology that scrolls the text on the screen as the user moves their eyes.