By Graham K. Rogers

As part of its current release program of new products lines, Apple has announced that it is to release the iPhone 5s and Phone 5c in several countries on 25 October this year, including Thailand. For a change, the release of the iPhones in Malaysia occurs a week later.

It is also rumoured that other products are to be released on 22 October, with the favourites being a new MacPro and new iPad models. We may also expect software releases, including the next version of OS X, 10.9 Mavericks, which was recently released to developers as "Gold Master": the last step before the general release.

As the launch of the iPhones is to be a Friday, we may expect True to lay on one of its events - usually at Siam Paragon - so that the first lucky purchasers (having lined up for several hours) will be able to walk away with a new phone just after midnight. More sensible (or less bling-driven) buyers will not fall for True's hype and order online, or wait a couple of weeks until supplies become more plentiful in the stores.

The main TrueMoveH pages are now carrying images of the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c. This will doubtless be updated as ordering information becomes available.

The main text of Apple's press release is below:

iPhone 5s & iPhone 5c Arrive in Italy, Russia, Spain & More Than 25 Countries on Friday, October 25

Available in India, Mexico & More Than a Dozen Additional Countries on Friday, November 1

CUPERTINO, California - October 9, 2013 - Apple today announced iPhone 5s, the most forward-thinking smartphone in the world, and iPhone 5c, the most colorful iPhone yet, will be available in Italy, Russia, Spain and more than 25 additional countries on Friday, October 25. iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c will also be available in more than a dozen countries on Friday, November 1, including India and Mexico.

iPhone 5s redefines the best smartphone experience in the world with amazing new features all packed into a remarkable thin and light design, including the Apple-designed A7 64-bit chip, all-new 8 megapixel iSight camera with True Tone flash and introducing Touch ID, an innovative way to simply and securely unlock your phone with just the touch of a finger. iPhone 5c features an all-new design, packed with features people know and love like the beautiful 4-inch Retina display, blazing fast performance of the A6 chip, and the 8 megapixel iSight camera - all while delivering great battery life. iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c both offer more LTE bands than any other smartphone in the world and include all-new FaceTime HD cameras.

iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c come with iOS 7, the most significant iOS update since the original iPhone, featuring a stunning new user interface, completely redesigned with an elegant color palette, distinct, functional layers and subtle motion that make it feel more alive. iOS 7 has hundreds of great new features, including Control Center, Notification Center, improved Multitasking, AirDrop, enhanced Photos, Safari, Siri and introduces iTunes Radio, a free Internet radio service based on the music you listen to on iTunes.

iPhone 5s comes in gold, silver or space gray for a suggested retail price of $199 (US) for the 16GB model, $299 (US) for the 32GB model and $399 (US) for the 64GB model. iPhone 5c comes in blue, green, pink, yellow and white for a suggested retail price of $99 (US) for the 16GB model and $199 (US) for the 32GB model. iPhone 5s cases come in beige, black, blue, brown, yellow and (RED) for a suggested retail price of $39 (US) and iPhone 5c cases come in blue, green, pink, yellow, black and white for a suggested retail price of $29 (US). iPhone 5s, iPhone 5c and cases for both phones will be available through the Apple Online Store (www.apple.com), Apple's retail stores and select Apple Authorized Resellers. iPhone 4s is available for free with a two-year contract from participating carriers.

Every customer who buys an iPhone 5s or iPhone 5c at an Apple retail store will be offered free Personal Setup service, helping them customize their iPhone by setting up email, showing them new apps from the App Store and more, so they'll be up and running with their new iPhone before they leave the store. Customers can learn more about iOS 7 and their new device through new free workshops at all Apple retail stores worldwide.

iPhone 5s and 5c will be available on Friday, October 25 in Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, French West Indies, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macau, Malta, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Reunion Island, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan and Thailand. iPhone 5s and 5c will also be available on Friday, November 1 in Albania, Armenia, Bahrain, Colombia, El Salvador, Guam, Guatemala, India, Macedonia, Malaysia, Mexico, Moldova, Montenegro, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and UAE. Both iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c are currently available in the US, Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Puerto Rico, Singapore and the UK.

Graham K. Rogers teaches at the Faculty of Engineering, Mahidol University in Thailand where he is also Assistant Dean. He wrote in the Bangkok Post, Database supplement on IT subjects. For the last seven years of Database he wrote a column on Apple and Macs.