New iPhone 'will feature Force Touch'

Production has started on the iPhone 6s - or iPhone 7 - which will include the pressure-sensitive Force Touch technology used in the Apple Watch, according to reports.

The next generation of iPhones will be 4.7-inches and 5.5-inches respectively, the same sizes as the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, sources told Bloomberg.

Force Touch is Apple's method of using a single surface to trigger multiple functions depending on how much pressure you apply, and was first incorporated into the Apple Watch and 12-inch MacBook.
Force Touching an Apple Watch, for example, pulls up the menu to change the watch face, while Force clicking using a trackpad reveals locations when used on maps, previews a file's contents or adds an event to a calendar invite, and so on.

^{The MacBook's trackpad contains four sensors for detecting the amount of force used}

The technology has since been rolled out in the latest 15-inch MacBook Pro.

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Rumours have abounded for some time that the next iPhone will sport Force Touch, and it seems increasingly likely the next generation of iPads will also feature it.

The new iPhones are expected to be launched in September, and will ship with the company's latest software system iOS 9. The exact sale date appeared to have been leaked in an internal email from Vodafone, which confirmed the new handset known only as 'the new iPhone' will go on sale on September 25, with pre-orders being accepted from September 18.

Other rumoured features include a DSLR-quality camera, a sapphire glass screen and a potential new rose gold version.

History suggests the new models will be called the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus, but Apple could choose to skip straight to the iPhone 7.