Multiple reports have suggested that 2013 could be the first year that Apple adds a third color option to its iPhone lineup, and now some convincing photos of that additional model have made their way online.

A new set of images posted by Japanese site ASCII claim to show the outer shell of the gold iPhone 5S hanging out in the wild with its black and white siblings. The champagne-flavored part features Apple and iPhone branding that's similar to the black and silver models, though the word "iPhone" seems to be printed in a slightly thinner, perhaps more iOS 7-like font. Also included are the usual array of ports and cutouts that one would expect to see on an iPhone 5.

Some folks have expressed concern that a gold iPhone would be too gaudy, but I think that the part shown in these photos actually looks pretty nice. The light golden hue adds a touch of color to Apple's smartphone, and because the Cupertino firm has traditionally only sold the iPhone in black or white, I bet that this new gold model will attract a lot of buyers. It's also worth noting that previous rumors have suggested that the front of this gold iPhone will be white in color.

Apple is widely expected to unveil its new iPhone at an event on Sept. 10, and the company may also debut the oft-rumored lower-cost iPhone there was well. Until then, you can find a few more photos of this golden iPhone 5S shell at the ASCII link below.

UPDATE: AppAdvice has posted a few more clear images of the gold iPhone 5S's rear shell. The shell in these photos includes the white top and bottom pieces, and we can see that there's an elongated LED flash cutout next to the hole for the device's camera. That lines up with previously-leaked images that suggested that the iPhone 5S will sport a dual-LED flash.

Via iMore, ASCII, AppAdvice