Is this the first picture (sort of) of the iPhone 6? 'Leaked images' reveal parts of new Apple handsets

Images of what is believed to be parts of the forthcoming iPhone 6 have emerged online for the first time.

Apple are said to have been preparing several new versions of its iconic smartphone this year, including a cheaper, plastic-bodied model aimed at customers in emerging markets.

The need for the company to diversify its offerings was underlined yesterday by a report which showed that the iPhone is losing its appeal among well-heeled Asian customers.

Is this the first look at the next iPhones? The image purporting to show the speaker parts from the forthcoming iPhone 5S and iPhone 6. The same part from the current generation is shown not to scale

And the leaked images come as rumours began circulating that Apple is also readying a new version of its iPad with 128GB of storage - a potential direct challenge to Microsoft's Surface Pro, which launches in the U.S. next week.

The photos, which the editor of French tech blog Nowhereelse.fr said he found 'while browsing the web', show speaker components which are similar to ones used in the iPhone 5.

They were apparently leaked online by an employee of the Far Eastern company which manufactures the parts for the Silicon Valley tech giant.

The rather fuzzy images purport to show the block speaker parts which will be used on the iPhone 5S and iPhone 6.

Both parts appear to be similar in design to the part currently used in iPhone 5s, but the one thought to be for the iPhone 6 is slightly smaller.

It is speculated that this could actually be designed for the as-yet hypothetical 4.8in iPhone, an iPhone Mini or a possible budget iPhone.

There have been rumours that Apple is preparing a cheaper version of its iPhone for emerging markets, where demand for the smartest of smartphones has been hampered by its rather smart price-tag.

But stiff competition at the top end of the market by tablet/smartphone hybrids like Samsung's Galaxy Note 2 has also led to rumours that the company could also be readying a larger version.

The same parts are shown from above: The fuzzy images were apparently leaked online by an employee of the Far Eastern company which manufactures the parts for the Silicon Valley tech giant

While it is not possible to tell for certain whether the photos are indeed legitimate leaks of iPhone parts, Nowhereelse.fr has published a number of accurate photos in the past.

The writer claims the source of the images, whose identity he has chosen to keep secret, told him the 5S is set for launch between March and July, while the iPhone 6 will be unveiled at the year's end.

That matches the predictions of a recent analyst's report, which said production of the upgraded version of the iPhone 5 will begin in March for a June release.

IS APPLE PREPARING TO TAKE ON MICROSOFT WITH 128GB iPAD?

Apple is reported to preparing a 128GB version of the iPad, which would be perfectly positioned to take on the latest top-of-the-line pro version of Microsoft's Surface tablet.

The forthcoming fourth-generation Apple tablet with a Retina display would not be a redesign of current models but rather an addittion to the current line, sources told 9to5Mac.

It will join the 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB fourth-generation iPads which Apple already has on the market. No price has yet been released.

It comes after Microsoft last week announced it was to market a pro version of its surface tablet in North America from next week.

Powered by an Intel x86-type processor, the Microsoft Surface Pro will run a full version of the latest Windows 8 OS, allowing it to use fully featured Windows software rather than the slimmed-down apps currently available for Windows RT.

That has allowed Microsoft to position the gadget as a complete laptop replacement.

It comes in both 64GB and 128GB versions but, unlike Apple's tablets, does not have a SIM slot to enable connection to mobile networks. 

The expectation that Apple is preparing to expand its so-far one-dimensional smartphone range comes as analysis of mobile web traffic from Hong Kong and Singapore showed consumers there are turning away from its products.

Driven by a combination of iPhone fatigue, a desire to be different and a plethora of competing devices, users in these influential markets are turning to other brands, Reuters reported.

In Singapore, Apple's products were so dominant in 2010 that more devices here ran its iOS operating system per capita than anywhere else in the world.

But StatCounter, which measures traffic collected across a network of 3 million websites, calculates that Apple's share of mobile devices in Singapore - iPad and iPhone - declined sharply last year.

From a peak of 72 per cent in January 2012, its share fell to 50 per cent this month, while Android devices now account for 43 per cent of the market, up from 20 per cent in the same month last year.

In Hong Kong, devices running Apple's iOS now account for about 30 per cent of the total, down from about 45 per cent a year ago. Android accounts for nearly two-thirds.

'Apple is still viewed as a prestigious brand, but there are just so many other cool smartphones out there now that the competition is just much stiffer,' said Tom Clayton, chief executive of Singapore-based Bubble Motion, which develops a popular regional social media app called Bubbly.

Where Hong Kong and Singapore lead, other key markets across fast-growing Asia usually follow.

'Singapore and Hong Kong tend to be, from an electronics perspective, leading indicators on what is going to be hot in Western Europe and North America, as well as what is going to take off in the region,' said Jim Wagstaff, who runs a Singapore-based company called Jam Factory developing mobile apps for enterprises.