Apple may hand up to 70% of iPhone 6s production over to Foxconn, eying early announcement

Renowned Apple analyst Ming-chi Kuo tapped into his supply chain connections and emerged with an outline of the upcoming iPhone 6s line-up's production and announcement schedule. According to his findings, long-time manufacturing partner Foxconn is expected to secure the lion's share (60 to 70%) of assembly orders for the next-generation iPhone, with the rest probably going to fellow plant Pegatron. In addition, Foxconn could become the sole assembler of Apple's next-generation iPad — the rumored 12.9-inch screen iPad Pro — which could launch late this year, or early next year.

Thanks to Foxconn's preparation to meet its demands in time, Apple could introduce the new iPhones a few weeks earlier than usual, scheduling the announcement for late August and stocking smartphones on the shelves in September.

Kuo expects the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus' screen sizes to stay the same - that is, 4.7in and 5.5in by diagonal, respectively. Around 66% of the total order volume will be allocated to the smaller model, leaving the rest to the big screen iPhone. But demand for the phablet could convince Apple to re-balance the ratio, in a repetition of last year's scenario.

Kuo also claims that the new iPhones will put the Apple Watch and Apple MacBook's Force Touch technology to use, adding a deliberate "push" touch-mechanic to the arsenal of options for user interfacing. The analyst's research suggests Force Touch could enable handwritten signature input support, which Kuo sees as "beneficial for expanding to the commercial market".

Well, all we can do now is wait and see how much of Ming-chu Kuo's fortune telling will come true. The analyst has had a generally good track record with his Apple predictions, so if nothing else, he must be on the correct path.