Apple has commenced production of its next iPhones earlier than its usual yearly schedule, according to Bloomberg. The new phones, the displays of which will have the same 4.7 and 5.5-inch sizes of those of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, will include Force Touch, which will enable many new touchscreen gestures.
Apple first introduced Force Touch with the Apple Watch. It opens up many new possibilities by enabling devices to recognize the difference between a light tap and a firmer press. The feature has also appeared in the trackpads of the recently-released MacBook and MacBook Pro with Retina displays, so it looks likely to become standard across all new Apple computers and devices.
Bloomberg, which has described its sources simply as “people with knowledge of the matter”, has emphasized the overall similarity of the new iPhones to the current 6 and 6 Plus models, noting that they will closely resemble these current models in their exterior design. This lends further credibility to the notion that the new handsets will indeed be called the iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus and be subtle, rather than revolutionary, improvements on their predecessors.
Volume manufacturing will reportedly sharply increase from next month, and the introduction of few changes mean that final assembly is not expected to pose many challenges. Still, according to one of Bloomberg’s sources, the supply and yield of the modified displays could adversely affect the timing and production volume of the phones that Apple are expected to formally unveil in September.