Apple appears already preparing for the iPhone 6S release date and it may happen very soon as reports from Asia indicate that large-scale production of the 64-bit A9 application processor that will power the new iOS flagship has commenced.
Taiwanese publication DigiTimes said in a new report that the iPhone maker tapped Samsung and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp (TSMC) for its processing chip requirements this 2015. The same report hinted too that the bulk of A9 production will be handled by Samsung, which is also Apple's closest rival in the smartphone market.
It appears from the report that the South Korean firm has initiated its part of the project while TSMC will start in the fourth quarter of 2015. The latter, however, is also tasked to supply two more key components for the next iPhone - the device's Touch ID sensors and audio chips.
DigiTimes echoed the earlier forecasts aired by analysts that Apple is gunning to beats its record Q4 2014 result, in which the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus headlined the near 75 million units cleared by end of December that year.
Apple looks to sell as many as 80 million new iPhones, expected to arrive in two models - the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus, in the last three months of 2015. The same numbers are the target shipments that the tech giant ordered from its manufacturing partners - Foxconn and Pegatron, DigiTimes said.
Last minute rework
The latest update from Asia also mentioned that Samsung and TSMC had to rework the A9 chipset mask patterns but redesigning the wafers will not impact on the release schedule that Apple had previously set. Both Samsung and TSMC will use 16-nanometer FinFET process in mass producing the next-generation A-series processor.
The new iPhones on A9 application processor are thought to be an incremental jump from last year but will deliver on key upgrades such as 2GB of RAM, 12MP main shooter, faster LTE chip, Force Touch sensor and more robust housing with the use of 7000 Series aluminum alloy.
As mentioned, the iPhone 6S release date this 2015 will happen as scheduled, which likely is a few weeks or even days following Apple's press briefing for the new flagship in early September.