The rumour mill ahead of Apple’s product launch event on 9 September is cranking into overdrive as Re/code sources say the Cupertino giant is weighing up a high-end wearable device priced at around $400.

Whether the device (and the price) will be unveiled at Apple’s eagerly-awaited event is not yet clear, and Re/code sources go on to say consumers should expect a range of prices for different models.

And even if an Apple wearable is announced this month, sources (again, quoted by Re/code) say shipments are unlikely to start until early 2015.

According to a recent report by The Financial Times, Apple is also working with Dutch firm NXP, an NFC chipset vendor, to include the short-range wireless technology in the next iPhone, which may pave the way for a push into mobile money services. It’s again unclear, however, if an NFC-based smartphone will be showcased on 9 September.

CEO Tim Cook has nonetheless said Apple will break into a new product category this year.