Apple iPhone 6 Release Date 9 September !

The tech giant's new handset is set to be presented to the world on September 9, according to Re/Code

Apple is to unveil the iPhone 6 next month, it was reported tonight.

The tech giant's new handset is set to be presented to the world on September 9, according to Re/Code.

The new much-anticipated iPhone is expected to feature bigger screens of 4.7 and 5.5 inches.

New features on the next generation phone are said to include Near Field Communications technology to allow contactless payments, a super-sturdy screen - possibly made at least partially from Sapphire crystal, and a massively upgraded camera.

Apple is planning an unprecedented production run, with manufacturers being asked to assemble between 50 and 70m units before the phone's launch.

Apple has not commented on the rumoured launch date.

The tech firm is expected to make a second announcement later in the year covering the iWatch, OSX Yosemite and new iPad and Mac hardware.

Apple iPhone 6 latest news Specs To include device that auto unlocks in 'safe locations'

Apple's iPhone 6 could feature a smart unlocking system that allows the user to dispense with the passcode in safe areas.

The tech giant has applied for a patent for the invention - but there's no indication of whether it will go ahead.

The system will automatically unlock your phone in a safe location like your home but then lock when you leave in the same way your phone automatically connects to your Wi-Fi.

But unlike Wi-Fi it doesn't need to be a fixed location - your safe place could be your car.

The patent is titled ‘Location-sensitive security levels and setting profiles based on detected location.'

The iPhone 6 will also feature a virtually indestructible sapphire crystal display, according to a video purporting to show a leaked screen from the forthcoming Apple phone.

The screen is shown withstanding attacks from a knife and a heavy battering from a bunch of keys, which video blogger Marques Brownlee says is "way beyond" what you'd expect to happen in your pocket.

He also demonstrates the screen's ability to withstand pressure, bending the glass more than 90 degrees without any visible damage to the panel.

Apple has used sapphire glass before in both the camera lenses and TouchID sensors on the iPhone 5S, but if the video shows what Brownlee claims it does, the iPhone 6 will be the first smartphone to come to market using the mineral to make its whole display.

It's expected that the glass - which represents a vast improvement in both durability and thickness over the Gorilla glass in use on current models - will eventually be used throughout Apple's iPhone, iPad and wearable devices.

Apple are rumoured to be producing two different sized versions of the phone at their launch this autumn however, only one of the devices will be using the advanced screen.