Apple has started early production of the next-generation iPhone with Force Touch, according to Bloomberg. Believed to be called the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus the two new models will look similar to the current generation of iPhones, in line with Apple’s bi-yearly refresh cycle.
First demoed on the Apple Watch and shortly after in Apple’s Retina MacBook Pros and 12-inch MacBooks, Force Touch allows users to press harder on a screen or trackpad to reveal more options. Apple has been hard at work tweaking iOS 9 to prepare it for Force Touch support. It is heavily integrated with Apple Watch and is important to the navigation process due to the device’s compact design. Now the Cupertino company is reportedly already working to let developers integrate the feature into App Store apps. Force Touch will allow for the company to clear up some control space throughout iOS, as well as being used for things like dropping new pins in Maps, and pressure-sensitive scrolling in media apps.
According to Bloomberg, suppliers have begun manufacturing the 4.7-inch iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus with Force Touch. And since both models are vastly similar to the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus in exterior, the news outlet says suppliers are not likely to run into bottlenecks during the early production run. In fact, if all goes as planned, mass production of the smartphones is expected to begin next month.
A different and slightly older report by the generally right KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that the new iPhone model will be some 0.15mm longer and 0.2mm thicker because of Force Touch, and the new model will remove the camera bump. It is also rumored to be available in a new Rose Gold color, with a 12MP camera and perhaps a better front facing camera as well.
The iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus (if they’re named that) are expected to be unveiled in the fall along with the release of iOS 9.
