iPhone 6 Release Date Is Not Sept. 9: China Plant Fire Cause Delay [REPORT]

Apple is slated to hold a special media event on September 9, prompting many reports of an iPhone 6 launch on the same day However, while an Apple press conference certainly suggests the introduction of the new iPhone, reports from China say the actual iPhone 6 release date may not be until the middle of October.

"The source notes that a senior Store Leader mentioned October 14th as being an 'immense' day for Apple," leaked MacRumours from an internal Apple Retail Store meeting, "adding that the whole month of October would be very busy for stores and the company itself. Apple is also said to planning a media event for Tuesday, September 16, coming a month ahead of the device's launch."

As far as we know, the new iPhone 6 will feature two unique models. The standard 4.7-inch screen iPhone 6 is expected to arrive to Apple Stores first, while the larger 5.5-inch screen model arrives a little later. Both models are rumored to feature sapphire crystal screens that are durable and deliver gorgeous image quality. According to leaks from CNBeta, the new iPhone 6 will boast a new 2GHz dual-core 20nm 64-bit A8 chipset, which promises desktop-grade performance in a mobile package.

Typically, Apple will launch the new iPhone within 10 days of its introduction. However, recent reports regarding potential safety hazards at Apple's Chinese suppliers threaten to delay the iPhone 6 release date until the middle of October.

Earlier this month, a catastrophic fire at a metal polishing plant in China killed 75 employees and injured many more. The terrible loss of lives have resulted to a nationwide halt in factory production so that safety inspections can be carried out for large industrial plants, including the factories responsible for supplying components for the new iPhone 6.

The terrible fire occurred at the Kunshan Metal Products factory on Friday, Aug. 1. According to reports, a great explosion was caused by a spark that ignited all the aluminum dust within the factory. Apple supplier Foxconn plant also uses a similar metal polishin process to that found in the Kunshan Metal Products factory. No doubt, inspectors will be particularly thorough in scrutinizing Foxconn.