Apple has placed an order for a record number of iPhones with manufacturers in China, featuring Force Touch screen technology, according to a report.
While the next iPhone is likely to feature relatively minor upgrades, Apple appears to be confident that sales will continue to be strong, the Wall Street Journal says.
The company is asking suppliers to manufacture between 85 and 90 million units of the two new iPhone models - higher than a then-record initial production run of up to 80 million phones for the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus last year.
The next edition of the phone - likely to be called the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus in line with previous iPhone upgrades - is expected to keep the current screen sizes.
Cosmetic changes are expected to be minor, but one of the biggest changes will be the Force Touch technology incorporated into the screen.
That means the phone can distinguish between a light tap and a deep press on the screen, a feature already added to the Apple Watch and MacBook laptop.
The screen's resolution is expected to remain the same.
A fourth casing colour could be offered in addition to the existing silver, gold and space gray, insiders told the WSJ.
The factories which create some of the iPhone's components have already swung into action, the report says, with parts being manufactured in large quantities earlier this month.
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