Apple has released a total of 6 versions of the iPhones to date.

But with the news that Apple will be rolling out a pair of different iPhones -- one that is pricier and one that is cheaper and made of plastic -- the company has reached unchartered waters. Never before have we seen multiple Apple phones released simultaneously, and I think this will turn out to be the biggest difference, regardless of other specifications.

While the move to release two at the same time almost certainly appears to be Apple's way of keeping up with competitors who are doing the same, it raises the question of whether the iPhone will continue to be released two at a time. Will there eventually be more than two iPhones released at the same time? Will the company revert back to its long-standing policy of rolling the phones out one at a time? Will there be additional colors phased in every time a new phone comes out?

If recent history is an indication of anything, it is difficult to tell what the company will do next. The first several iPhones did not necessarily have significant differences, at least not as significant as the differences we saw in the 4S with the addition of Siri, and the 5 with it's larger screen size and new charging port. The reasons behind these changes, at least from a broad scope, seem rather different. Apple's decision to add to the screen size of the iPhone 5 was likely borne out of customer requests; the different charger, however, seemed like a mere marketing move in order to force customers to buy new chargers instead of using the old ones.

Apple has always had a special ability to foreshadow and they likely saw the move to add another phone to the release as inevitable when it became clear that competitors were already doing so. Apple has been able to offset this with a special deal available for customers to buy older versions of the iPhone at a cheaper price, but this idea seems to be growing old to Apple and its consumers.

It is rumored by AllThingsD that the iPhone(s) will be released in September.