Here is another Apple rumor regarding the future iPhone 5. The Wall Street Journal tweeted that the sixth generation Apple smartphone will feature a thinner touchscreen display with in-cell technology.
Breaking: Apple’s next iPhone will use a new technology that makes the smartphone’s screen thinner. wsj.com
— Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) July 17, 2012
In-cell technology would combine the touch sensors and LCD into one layer. This means that they wouldn’t need a separate touch screen layer. Not only would this make the touchscreens thinner by design, it would save Apple a little more money in the long run.
Right now it appears that Apple is trying to compete with Samsung’s OLED technology, which is featured on their current flagship model Galaxy S III. The company’s LCD screen makers Sharp, LG Display, and Japan Display are currently in the works of mass-producing these in-cell panels for the screens.
It’s been rumored for awhile now that Apple was to expand their screen size to a four inch display, a nice improvement from the current 3.5 inch display which is a standard feature on the iPhone.
Earlier in July, one touch panel maker, Wintek claimed their June sales were down at unusually high rates, at 36.3 month over month. It’s speculated that the company is losing major ground on key orders for Apple’s future phone.
The iPhone 5 is expected to debut sometime in September or October. All these rumors are pointing to the fact that Apple is gearing up for the launch of their next iPhone model.
Other recent rumors regarding iPhone 5 include a NFC (near-field communication) chip that will allow users to stream data between the phones quicker, and act as a virtual wallet, as well as a smaller dock connector.
We have no idea what Apple’s next phone will be like, and since the company has yet to come forward to confirm any rumors, it’s tough to indicate whether these rumors are true or not. We will have to wait and see what happens with their next phone.
If some of the aforementioned rumors are true, the iPhone 5 could feature some of their best improvements yet. Apple is nothing, if not innovative, and although the popularity of the iPhone shows no signs of lagging, it’s still crucial for Apple to update their products. Although the iPhone 4s was nothing short of impressive, the company has to now face the fact they’ve got real competition out there with Samsung, and it’s time to raise the bar even further. The only thing that may hinder Apple from branching out even further is money, but if they can keep subsidizing their phones through carriers, I don’t think that will be too much of a problem.
