When it comes to iPhone sales, Apple never goes backwards. The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday that people familiar with the matter say Apple is asking its manufacturers to produce between 85-90 million units of the upcoming iPhone 6s before the end of the year, a record number for the smartphone maker.
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By comparison, Apple ordered 70-80 million iPhone 6 and 6 Plus units last year. WSJ’s sources also say that the two new models of the iPhone will retain the 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch display sizes. Based on what we’ve seen in the most recent leaks, it stands to reason that Apple won’t be initiating any major hardware redesigns for the iPhone in 2015.
Many of the changes for this year’s version of the iPhone are expected to be internal, from a next-gen Qualcomm LTE chip that could theoretically double cellular data speeds to a new NFC chip for Touch ID. It has been confirmed by Bloomberg that Apple will bring its Force Touch technology to the iPhone this year as well.
Interestingly, the sources also told the WSJ that Apple is considering adding a fourth color to its lineup this year alongside the silver, gold and space gray options we’re accustomed to. Finally, the sources claim that suppliers have already begun manufacturing parts for the iPhone 6s “in large quantity,” so don’t be surprised if iPhone leaks start trickling out in the coming weeks.
