The iPhone 6 release date this 2014 could be earlier than last year as Apple reportedly inks a new A8 chip manufacturing agreement with Samsung while one of the tech giant's key production partner, Foxconn, dials up its hiring mode.

As if gearing up for ramped up production duties ahead, the iPhone maker is ensuring that the processing requirements of 2014 iOS devices will be supplied as programmed. According to Apple Insider, South Korea's Samsung will play a major role in the anticipated iPhone 6 launch in the second half of the year.

Samsung will again produce the latest A-series chips from its Austin, Texas manufacturing facilities, the same report said, pointing to ZDNet Korea as source. Analysts have been projecting that 64-bit A8 chip will power the next iPhone and the 2014 iPads, replacing the A7 processor that came first with the iPhone 5S.

The deal, which a Samsung official said has been finalised by all parties involved, contradicts earlier reports that Apple will award the bulk of A8 chip production contracts to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) and shut out the Galaxy maker.

While not exactly backpedalling on the matter, as Apple always keeps its silence on supply chain issues, the company's latest move is being read by analysts as its way of ensuring that the pre-set production and release calendars for the iPhone 6 will take place as planned.

With two heavyweight names, Samsung and TSMC, jointly handling the A8 production duties this year, there is little room for delays to mar the iPhone 6 release date and the iPad rollouts to come after, Apple observers said.

And add to that the fresh reports coming from Taiwan, that Foxconn is presently on a major hiring spree, beefing up its workers rank by up to 15,000, according to The Wall Street Journal and as reported by CNET.

While the big recruitment is regarded as Foxconn expanding its workforce for non-Apple manufacturing projects, the immediate assumption is the Taiwanese company is also gearing up for the next big thing from Apple - likely reserving its more than one million production employees for iOS device assembly, foremost of which is the iPhone 6.

All the signals feeding the wild iPhone speculations so far serve as a solid cue to an earlier iPhone 6 debut this year with one confirmed component - the powerhouse A8 CPU that is touted as far mightier and faster than the A7 chip.

On its release date, rumoured to happen between June and early September 2014, the iPhone 6 is said to showcase too a 4.7-inch screen (or bigger) using Quantum Dot display technology, a Liquidmetal casing with sapphire glass cover and coating, enhanced Touch ID security features tied to mobile payment, 5G Wi-Fi connectivity, wireless charging and iOS 8.