"We have been very busy recently as we will start mass-producing the new iPhone soon," said a Zhengzhou-based Foxconn executive with direct knowledge of production plans, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Foxconn and Apple have worked closely on iPad and iPhone releases over the past several years, despite controversies regarding labour conditions. A number of Apple's competitors also use the same Foxconn factories, but media attention for the labour troubles has been aimed primarily at Apple.
Foxconn claimed last week that its financial slowdown was due to the fault of the iPhone 5, which is setting sales records, suggesting that Apple has begun shifting iPhone manufacturing to another factory instead, a trend which could continue with the iPhone 6.
Some of the rumoured features of the next iPhone are Retina or IGZO screen display, A7 quad core chip processor, iOS 7, 128GB internal storage, 13 mega-pixel camera, and longer battery life. The lack of NFC support on the iPhone 5 was one of the biggest criticisms aimed at Apple's smartphone.
The low cost iPhone 5S, on the other hand, is rumoured to sport a plastic casing, 4-inch screen display, dual core processor and 8-megapixel camera.