Despite a gloomy start to the year, it seems Apple is planning to get back on track with its upcoming iPhone 7 handset.
According to a report in Taiwan’s Economic Daily cited by Barron’s Asia, the tech giant has put in an order for the assembly of between 72 million and 78 million new iPhones by the end of this year. Barron’s said the figure handily topped analyst expectations of just 65 million iPhone 7 devices and marked the highest production target in nearly two years.
The report indicated Foxconn will remain Apple’s dominant assembly partner, with help from Pegatron Corp.
Apple stocks were up just under one percent Tuesday morning on the news.
Rumors hold the new iPhone 7 will come in either two or three models, including the iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus and possibly the iPhone 7 Pro or Premium.
MacRumors has suggested there won’t be much of a form factor change in the iPhone 7, as the device is expected have a design very similar to that of the iPhone 6 and 6S. However, Apple is expected to make a few tweaks to the device’s exterior, including the addition of a dual-lens camera that sits flush with the phone’s rear casing and the removal of antenna bands on the back of the device.
Apple is also reportedly working on water and dust proofing solutions for its new device, which would bring it up to speed with the water-resistant Samsung Galaxy S7.
Reports have also surfaced that the company is working on a new sapphire screen and AMOLED display for its signature handset, and may remove the device’s 3.5mm headphone jack in favor of wireless or lightning connector headphones.