As far as price goes, Apple has stuck with its usual scheme: the 5S will start at $199 for the 16GB model with a two-year carrier contract. And availability will depend on where you live…
It looks like Apple will delay the pre-order for awhile, but it will be available in-stores on September 20. Note that this initial launch group now includes China, which is pretty significant considering that it doesn’t typically get new Apple products until several months after launch.
Don’t worry, Apple has promised that its new handset will be available in over 100 countries, on over 270 carries by December of this year. That sounds similar to the iPhone 5, indicating that Apple has hit its stride in international distribution.
Back to pricing: there’s no word on what the full-retail cost of the device is, or when/if an unlocked version will be available. If we’re looking at Apple’s previous behavior, though, there will be an unlocked version for sale within a few weeks and it will start at $649 for the 16GB model.