Apple orders record number of new iPhone 6 handsets ahead of possible September release date
Apple has ordered into production more iPhone 6 handsets than any other model before, according to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ).
The paper is reporting that Apple has ordered 70-80m units which is to be split between the 4.7 and 5.5 inch models, both of which are larger than the current 4-inch screen on the iPhone 5 and 5s.
Last year Apple ordered 50-60m units split between the 5s and 5c models, so this year the company must be expecting bumper sales volumes.
One possibility is that a deal Apple penned with China mobile giving it access to 700m subscribers has led to increased optimism, or that the company is planning to release a far more innovative handset than the last few generations.
Among the new specifications expected on the new iPhone is a bigger screen, better camera, tougher sapphire glass, advanced fitness-tracking features and compatibility with a rumoured iWatch. The phone is also expected to be thinner and rounded at the corners.
Apple is due to release its third-quarter results later today, which are expected to show healthy sales of 36m iPhones, a 14.9 per cent increase over the same quarter last year.
The iPhone 6's UK release date is still unknown, but is likely to be sometime in late September. Traditionally iPhone sales account for roughly half of Apple's revenue.