Apple has reportedly begun volume production of its upcoming iPhone 6s to meet its goal of launching the new smartphone on Sept. 18, in line with the iPhone maker's tradition of launching new iPhones on a Friday in September.
Taiwanese news outlet DigiTimes cites supply chain sources who claim that Apple's suppliers have started receiving components from OEM manufacturers to begin mass production of the iPhone 6s in time for the September launch of the new device.
The report also says Apple's suppliers, notably Pegatron and display manufacturers Zhen Ding and Flexmium, have continuously beefed up their production facilities to meet the high demand for the iPhone 6s. The sources say suppliers expect the iPhone 6s to sell at least 50 million units in the fourth quarter of 2015.
"Market expectations of new iPhone devices may continue to weigh on the sales of high-end Android phones from Samsung Electronics, Sony Mobile Communications and HTC," claims the DigiTimes.
In a separate report, Mic Gadget says Apple is getting ready to launch the iPhone 6s on Sept. 18. Citing insider sources from Foxconn, one of Apple's biggest suppliers, the report does fall in line with the company's yearly tradition of launching new iPhones in the fall. However, the report also claims Apple is planning on launching a keynote event for the iPhone 6s on Sept. 11, which seems unlikely for one of America's leading companies to unveil a new product on a date so grim.
Last month, we reported that Apple has begun early production runs for the 4.7-inch iPhone 6s and bigger iPhone 6s Plus. Both models are believed to be equipped with Force Touch, a new technology that allows the display to differentiate between a deep press and a light tap.
On the surface, the iPhone 6s is not expected to look different from the iPhone 6, although rumors abound that Apple is planning to add a new color option in pink. Under the hood, the new device will likely sport an upgraded A-series processor and 2 GB of RAM, which has taken a long time coming as Apple has remained with the 1 GB of RAM for years. The phone is also believed to have a 12-megapixel camera, a new Qualcomm LTE modem and an upgraded NFC chip from NXP.
Photo: Omar Jordan Fawahl | Flickr
