The release of the iPhone 6 may be pushed back further due to safety concerns from Chinese authorities after a hub cap factory in the eastern part of the country experienced an unfortunate mishap.
Foxconn, which was tapped to manufacture Apple's newest smartphone, is said to have already started on the mass production of 4.7-inch iPhone 6 variants. It is also expected to begin working on the 5.5-inch version of the device by next week. The production for the bigger smartphone has been hit with production delays, and it is unclear if the two versions of the device will have the same release date.
Now, the timeline for the launch of the smartphone may be pushed further due to an industrial accident in Jiangsu province. Last week, a dust explosion in the area killed 75 people and caused injuries to more than a hundred others.
The Foxconn facility was not affected by the blast. However, authorities ordered facilities involved in metal polishing to stop operations over the weekend to give way for safety checks. According to local website Tech Web, inspectors from the country's State Administration of Work Safety visited the Foxconn facility.
The inspections are expected to further tighten the company's production schedule, which was already under strain to begin with. The company recently went on a hiring spree, bringing in 10,000 new workers to meet Apple's order.
There have been contrasting rumors about the iPhone 6's launch date. Reports initially claimed that Apple was planning a mid-September for the launch of the device and the iOS 8. This would be followed up by an October event for the iWatch, OS X Yosemite and the company's new line of Macs and iPads.
Then, a source told MacRumors that the released is actually October 14. The source, who cited an internal Apple Retail Store meeting, said that the whole month would be busy for the company, which may mean that all of Apple's product releases would be scheduled for that period.
It is still not clear whether the two variants of the iPhone 6 will be launched at the same time. However, some reports predict that the 5.5-inch version of the device would be launched early next year.
