New iPhone could come in a huge range of different colours as Apple embraces variety

Almost all Apple products come in only four colours

A visitor uses his iPhone X to take photos of the stage at the Apple Worldwide Developer conference in San Jose, California, U.S., June 4, 2018 (REUTERS)

Apple could launch the new iPhone in a whole host of new colours, according to a new report.

The change would make one of the most profound alterations to the iPhone in recent years. For a long time, all of Apple's products have come in only a limited number of colours: primarily variations on gold, black and white.

But the successor to the iPhone X could come in blue, red, and orange, as well as the more traditional grey and white. The bigger phone might come in a gold model, too.

Rumours have focused on the colours of the new iPhones in recent months. Recent reports have suggested that the company is even testing green and purple paint jobs, too, but the new rumour comes from respected analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

It may be that Apple has yet to decide on what colours it will offer, or even whether new options will be on sale.

The new phones aren't expected to arrive until September. There is reported to be three different models: a successor to the iPhone X, a bigger, Plus sized version, and a cheaper model.

For the most part, Apple has kept what colour options it offers to its line of accessories. It sells its Apple Watch bands and iPhone cases in a whole host of different hues, for instance – but the handsets and wearables they go alongside only come in a relatively limited range.

But it has occasionally offered more colourful versions. It released a special red option of the iPhone 8 and 7 before that, in keeping with its work with Aids charities.

Before that, the iPhone 5c was the last time that Apple committed to a range of different hues for its phones, in keeping with its usual strategy of keeping brighter colours to cheaper phones. And even earlier than that, Apple used to offer its products in a whole range of colours: the first iMac was released in colours even including special patterns such as "Flower Power" and "Blue Dalmation".