Apple plans to build more iPhones than ever before for the new models expected later this year, according to a report.
The Cupertino, Calif., smartphone giant has asked suppliers in Asia to
make 85 million to 90 million units of two new iPhones with 4.7-inch
and 5.5-inch screens for release later this year,
according to
a report from The Wall Street Journal. Last year, Apple had asked
suppliers to initially build 70 million to 80 million units of its
iPhone 6 and 6 Plus smartphones -- which, up to now, have been the
best-selling devices Apple has ever created.
The new devices
-- likely hitting the market in the fall -- will feature similar
designs to the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, the report said, which follows
Apple's trend over the past generations of its popular smartphone. The
off-year "S" model typically adds features that don't dramatically alter
the overall design -- such as the Siri digital voice assistant, added
with the
iPhone 4S, or the TouchID fingerprint reader, which debuted with the
iPhone 5S.
Apple may include its ForceTouch technology in the new devices,
allowing the iPhones to differentiate between hard and light taps on the
display. And Apple is expected to keep the new phones' resolution the
same as that of the current iPhones, the Journal said, as well as add a
fourth color option for the devices.
Apple declined to comment.
Apple's iPhone has become more vital than ever to the company's
financial results. Increasing the iPhone screen sizes to 4.7 inches and
5.5 inches from the 4-inch iPhone 5S helped Apple attract a bigger crop
of users than ever before. The device's popularity has risen in places
such as China, which became Apple's biggest smartphone market during the company's fiscal second quarter, ended in March.
For the
past couple of quarters, more than two-thirds of Apple's sales have come
from the device, much higher than the typical level, which is closer to
50 percent. Apple has sold 135.7 million iPhones over the past two
quarters, up about 43 percent from the same period a year ago.
Apple may hire a third supplier, Wistron, to build its upcoming
iPhones, according to the Journal, something that should help the
company meet demand faster. In the past, customers have had to wait
weeks or even months to receive the smartphones they desire. That's
caused people to camp out at Apple Stores to receive the phone the first
day it goes on sale. In the past, Apple has primarily relied on Hon Hai
Precision Industry, better known as Foxconn, and Pegatron to assemble
its devices.