Apple iPhone 6 Release Date, Rumors: New Leak Reveals Photos Ahead of Launch Date

Jun 18, 2014 01:29 AM EDT

Following rumors that the new Apple iPhone 6 is entering full-scale production in China, photos of an alleged fully-assembled iPhone 6 have begun making surfacing on the web.

Last Wednesday, Taiwanese actor/singer Jimmy Lin posted photos on Weibo of himself holding what appears to be the rumored 4.7-inch version of the iPhone 6. The flamboyant celebrity pulled off the same stunt last year, when he released photos of the Apple iPhone 5C -- roughly a month ahead of its release date.

An examination of the Weibo images shows that the power button has been moved to the right of the device. According to rumors, this was done to facilitate one-hand operation. Lin also provided two side-by-side comparison images for both the iPhone 6 and iPhone 5. The next-gen iPhone 6 clearly has a much larger housing and screen than its iPhone 5 predecessor.

Details shown in Lin's photos share similarities with another set of leaked photo released Tuesday on Australian website, Macfixit. The smartphone in the Macfixit photos strongly resembles Lin's device, with the power button located on the right. The two leaks join a wave of unofficial photo releases that have begun sweeping the internet this week.

These activities began after iPhone 6 manufacturer Foxconn issued a press release last Tuesday, announcing that it will start manufacturing the 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch versions of the iPhone 6. Apple routinely outsources the production of its mobile designs to third-party manufacturers, most of which are based in China.

Here is a copy of the Foxconn press release:

Foxconn to Land 5.5-inch iPhone Orders

5.5 and 4.7 inch iPhone will be manufactured by Foxconn in 2014

MUMBAI, India - June 2, 2014

Foxconn, world's leading manufacturer of computer components and systems, is going to manufacture both 5.5-inch and 4.7-inch iPhone in 2014.

According the sources, Foxconn will supply 70% of the 4.7-inch iPhone shipments for 2015. The 4- and 4.7-inch iPhones will be the main sales force of Apple for 2014. Foxconn's plants in Zhengzhou, China are expected to start supplying the 4.7-inch model in July and start manufacturing the 5.5-inch one in August.

Back in April, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported that Apple was designing two versions of the iPhone 6 that had two distinct screen sizes -- 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch. Kuo also predicted that the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 version will be released in September, while the 5.5 inch version will be launched next year.