Super-Slim 5.5-Inch iPhone 6 Release Date is December 2014 as Foxconn to Exclusively Build 1st iOS Phablet – Reports

The iPhone 6 will be the slimmest smartphone ever built by Apple on its release date this 2014 and new reports from Asia seemingly confirmed this plus the high likelihood that the phablet-size 5.5-inch model will start rolling out in December.

DigiTimes reported this week that preparation for both the 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch iPhone 6 is now in full swing with Foxconn's big boss Terry Guo directly supervising the undertaking in order to ensure that "production lines are in optimal condition."

Apparently, Guo is in high spirits as Foxconn cornered some 70 per cent of the total 4.7-inch iPhone 6 orders coming from Apple by the end of 2014, said the same DigiTimes report, which again cited unnamed supply chain sources.

And the company chief is even happier as the report added that the iPhone maker has decided to fully trust Foxconn in assembling the first Apple phablet. According to DigiTimes, the device manufacturer "has landed orders to initially produce 70 per cent of the 4.7-inch iPhones and 100 per cent of the 5.5-inch models."

In addition, Guo's personal visits on Foxconn's various factories in China is interpreted as his way of eliminating production glitches since the next iPhone are more complicated to build compared to the previous versions.

The biggest production challenge is the alleged super-slim profile of the two iPhone 6 models. "In comparison with the iPhone 5, the new iPhones are thinner and therefore are more difficult to assemble," DigiTimes said.

The report, however, failed to mention a definite time table on when the devices will come out.

But thanks to G4Games, a tentative commercial launch time is offered as the tech blog site reported that Apple will start selling the jumbo-size iPhone 6 in time for the 2014 Christmas season.

Pointing to Chinese social media site Weibo as source, G4Games said that mass production of the iPhone 6 and the rumoured iWatch will commence in September 2014 with the aim of making the devices available anytime in December.

The iPad Air 2 and iPad Mini 3, which is rumoured to take on the new name iPad Air Mini, were also scheduled for manufacture start on September but it was unclear if Apple's 2014 tablet refreshes will debut at the same time with the giant iPhone and the first iOS wearable device.

As for the regular 4.7-inch iPhone 6, numerous reports said volume production of the device has started this July and release date is likely between September 19 and 26 2014, to be preceded by Apple's grand unveiling in the mid-part of the month.