Apple Aiming to Produce 75 Million 5G iPhones to Release Alongside Two Apple Watches and New iPad Air

Apple is reportedly aiming to have 75 million 5G iPhones manufactured by its suppliers, ready for shipping later this year. The company, while confirming that the phones will be delayed to October, doesn’t expect demand to wane despite the global pandemic. The company is also working towards releasing two new Apple Watches, iPad Air and a few other pieces of tech.

A Bloomberg report from Mark Gurman highlights more than a few of Apple’s releases expected later this year. The most notable highlights Apple’s strides to keep with demand for the new line of iPhones. As previous rumours have pointed to, Apple is expected to release four models this year. The first is a lower-end 5.4-inch model, two 6.1-inch devices, and a higher-end 6.7-inch iPhone.

The devices are said to have a similar design to the iPad Pro with squared edges. The higher-end models are expected to have a stainless steel body while the lower-end will continue with aluminum. Bloomberg also suggests that the 6.7-inch model may be the only iPhone to receive the LiDAR scanner that is seen on this year’s iPad Pro.

Gurman’s report is in line with many previous reports indicating that the lower-end iPhone alongside one of the 6.1-inch devices will ship first while the remaining 6.1-inch iPhone will ship alongside the high-end model later in the year. The report also notes that while Apple is targetting 75 million units, that number could potentially reach as high as 80 million. It’s not currently known which of the new iPhone will be supporting 5G networking. Though, it is said that some of the new models will utilize sub-6GHZ and mmWave technology. However, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo recently said mmWave support iPhone shipments could be weaker than expected.

Though the new iPhones are expected to ship later this year, Bloomberg expects iOS 14 to still release in September.

The report also notes that Apple is planning to release a new iPad Air with a similar design of the iPad Pro. The device is said to have an edge-to-edge display with minimal bezels. Throughout the COVID-19 crisis, Apple has seen “strong demand” for both iPhone and iPad.

Apple is also planning the release of two new Apple Watches. The first is a successor to the Series 5 Apple Watch. The second will be a lower-end replacement for the Series 3 that will “compete” with fitness devices such as the FitBit.

Alongside those, a smaller, cheaper HomePod is expected to be released. The new HomePod is being developed in an effort for Apple to push into the smart home market with a lower price point. The report says that the new HomePod may have fewer speakers.

Finally, a new Apple TV box is in the works, though it may not release until early next year. The new box is said to have an upgraded remote with a feature similar to Find My iPhone to assist in helping find misplaced controllers. The new Apple TV box will also come with a faster processor for improved gaming functionality.