Apple supplier Pegatron is expected to start production on the iPhone 6 in the second quarter of this year at its new Kunshan, China plant, reports the Commercial Times [Google Translate].
Pegatron is already opening up a new factory space and recruiting workers in China in an effort to meet orders to manufacture the new phone, says Reuters. In early January, it was reported that Pegatron was expected to win a new contract to manufacture half of the iPhone 6's supplies. Previously, Pegatron was responsible for assembling the iPad mini and iPhone 5c, while Apple's main supplier, Foxconn, assembled many of the iPhone 5s units.
While the newspaper reported production would start ramping up in the second quarter, it did not report when the phone could come out, how many units Pegatron would manufacture, or how many workers the company was hiring. However, they do note that fellow Apple supplier Hon Hai would be the other primary manufacturer of the phone.
In 2013 Apple shifted iPhone 5c production to Pegatron in order to improve supply chain risk management, allowing Apple to expand its supply lines and minimize risk of potential supply chain disasters.
The iPhone 6 has been rumored to launch with two different versions of the phone, one with a 4.7-inch display and one with a 5.7-inch display. While there is no rumored release timeframe for the device, Apple typically releases its new iPhone models in the fall.
