Even without a confirmed release date, Apple's flagship carrier is reportedly expecting 90 million units shipped out.

According to DigiTimes, iPhone-maker FoxConn Electronics is expecting orders of up to 90 million units in the year 2014 alone. The DigiTimes report cites Commercial Times, a Chinese outlet which based the report from Citigroup Global Markets data.

DigiTimes reports, "Buoyed by shipments of iPhone 6, Apple's smartphone shipments are expected to rise 23% in 2014 compared to 13% growth posted a year earlier, the paper quoted Wei Chen, an analyst at Citigroup Global Markets, as saying."

Interestingly, the global growth rate of shipments for smartphones are reportedly expected to drop this year, notes DigiTimes. In 2013, the growth rate of global smartphone shipments was 40%. This year, the rate is expected to drag at 28%.

Smartphone sales in what DigiTimes refer to as "mature markets" are also reportedly dipping at 4% this year compared to 5% the previous year.

With these stats in mind, it seems that Apple sees a very positive iPhone 6 launch this year and also possibly hints on significant changes and improvements in specs and features for the sought-after Apple device.

With rival Samsung finally revealing the Galaxy S5, the iPhone 6 is front and center of rumor mills - with the latest rumor involving an alleged bezel-free front panel of the device.

Republished at French website Nowhereelse.fr, the so claimed iPhone 6 front panel leaked images suggest that the next gen iPhone will have a significantly slimmer top bezel, a slightly slimmer bottom bezel and without rim on the sides.

GSM Arena has calculated the next gen iPhone's screen size along the lines of the alleged front panel in the leaked image and found out that the iPhone 6 might still be a few portions of an inch-shy from the rumored 4.7 to 5-inch screen. That is, based on their calculations, screen size for the upcoming Apple device will only be 4.3 inches should the leaked image hold true.

Will a side bezel-free iPhone 6 be enough to trigger a 90-million-unit ship out for Apple? Share your thoughts below.

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