Affiliate Disclosure
If you buy through our links, we may get a commission. Read our ethics policy.

Rumor: Apple prepping as many as 78 million 'iPhone 7' units for launch

Apple has reportedly instructed its supply chain to produce between 72 million and 78 million of the so-called "iPhone 7" in the run-up to that device's expected launch this fall.

If Apple does reach that figure, first noted by Taiwan's Economic Daily News, it will mark the highest launch target since the iPhone 6. That could mean that Apple views new features shipping with the iPhone 7 in the same category as the screen size jumps that came alongside the iPhone 6.

Unsurprisingly, Foxconn will reportedly continue to carry the mail when it comes to iPhone production. The Taiwan-based firm — which bases its factories primarily in mainland China — has hundreds of thousands of workers dedicated to Apple's mobile device business.

After reporting its first-ever quarterly iPhone sales decline last month, Apple watchers are looking toward the iPhone 7 to improve the company's fortunes.

Relatively little is known about the new iPhone, though it is expected to ship with an advanced camera setup that could include a dual-lens system. Rumors have consistently pointed toward an OLED-based display for future iPhones, though it's not clear whether such a component would make its way to the iPhone 7 or wait for one more generation.