We’ve heard these rumors before, but this time we’ve got it from a somewhat more reliable source: the
Wall Street Journal.
According to their sources, the iPhone 5 may well have a thinner
screen, thanks to some new technology from Sharp and LG. Both
electronics companies are currently making screens for the new iPhone,
apparently, and they’re building in something called in-cell technology.
The idea is that the touch sensors are built directly into the LCD
display, rather than having touch membrane layer over top of the LCD.
The result is that the whole screen assembly can be thinner than previous models, which means a thinner
iPhone 5
might be on the horizon. As the WSJ points out, the technology may
uncomplicate Apple’s supply chain, too, since they’ll no longer need to
source displays and touch membranes separately.
Meanwhile, Samsung is continuing to forge ahead with OLED, the
next-gen display technology that will likely replace LCDs in most
devices eventually. Their superior black levels and contrast, and the
fact that they don’t need to be backlit, make them a great option when
aiming for thinness. They’re also flexible, allowing for a possible
future of bendy phones and TVs. Apple may be avoiding the display
technology in favour of old-school LCD panels, however, because
Samsung is the largest maker of OLED screens in the world.
Whether Apple eventually caves and buys Samsung’s OLEDs, or whether
another OLED maker emerges to provide for Apple, remains to be seen. For
this coming generation of iPhone, however, it looks like in-cell LCD
touchscreens will be the chosen display technology.
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