WSJ reaffirms Apple's next iPhone will feature thinner in-cell touchscreen
Corroborating numerous earlier reports, The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday that Apple's sixth-generation iPhone will feature new touchscreen technology that will allow the screen to be even thinner.
The screen is reportedly already being manufactured by component makers in Apple's Asian supply chain ahead of an anticipated fall launch of the new iPhone. Specifically, Sharp, LG and Japan Display Inc. are all said to be assembling the new panels utilizing in-cell technology.
The new screens integrate the touch sensors into the LCD itself, which allows the screen to be thinner by eliminating the need for a separate touchscreen layer. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo with KGI Securities first indicated to AppleInsider in April that in-cell touch technology could allow Apple to reduce the thickness of the display by as much as 0.44 millimeters.
A thinner display could allow Apple to make the device thinner, or using the same thickness the company could fit in a slightly larger battery. In-cell technology could also help offset the added weight that would come from a larger 4-inch display that Apple is expected to utilize in its next iPhone.
Claims that Apple plans to use in-cell touch panels for its next-generation iPhone first surfaced from the sometimes-reliable DigiTimes earlier this year. That report also pegged Sharp as a likely supplier of the new screens.
More evidence of Apple's switch to in-cell touch panels came earlier this month, when touch panel supplier Wintek announced its June sales were down an unusually high 33.6 percent month over month. That was interpreted as a sign that the company may have lost out on key orders for Apple's next-generation iPhone.
Analyst Brian White with Topeka Capital Markets noted that over the last seven years, Wintek's June sales increased on average 1 percent month over month. The 33.6 percent drop was the largest month-over-month sales drop seen since late 2006.
Currently, the iPhone and iPad use glass-on-glass touch solutions provided by Wintek and TPK holdings. Wintek, which does not offer in-cell touch technology, is estimated to have previously generated more than 50 percent of its sales from Apple.
The screen is reportedly already being manufactured by component makers in Apple's Asian supply chain ahead of an anticipated fall launch of the new iPhone. Specifically, Sharp, LG and Japan Display Inc. are all said to be assembling the new panels utilizing in-cell technology.
The new screens integrate the touch sensors into the LCD itself, which allows the screen to be thinner by eliminating the need for a separate touchscreen layer. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo with KGI Securities first indicated to AppleInsider in April that in-cell touch technology could allow Apple to reduce the thickness of the display by as much as 0.44 millimeters.
A thinner display could allow Apple to make the device thinner, or using the same thickness the company could fit in a slightly larger battery. In-cell technology could also help offset the added weight that would come from a larger 4-inch display that Apple is expected to utilize in its next iPhone.
Claims that Apple plans to use in-cell touch panels for its next-generation iPhone first surfaced from the sometimes-reliable DigiTimes earlier this year. That report also pegged Sharp as a likely supplier of the new screens.
More evidence of Apple's switch to in-cell touch panels came earlier this month, when touch panel supplier Wintek announced its June sales were down an unusually high 33.6 percent month over month. That was interpreted as a sign that the company may have lost out on key orders for Apple's next-generation iPhone.
Analyst Brian White with Topeka Capital Markets noted that over the last seven years, Wintek's June sales increased on average 1 percent month over month. The 33.6 percent drop was the largest month-over-month sales drop seen since late 2006.
Currently, the iPhone and iPad use glass-on-glass touch solutions provided by Wintek and TPK holdings. Wintek, which does not offer in-cell touch technology, is estimated to have previously generated more than 50 percent of its sales from Apple.
Comments
While welcomed news, and this may be new to the iPhone (and maybe even LCDs in general?), I'm not sure why this is such big news this morning. From a technological standpoint Super AMOLED panels have been in-cell for 2 years now.
Quote:
Originally Posted by thataveragejoe
While welcomed news, and this may be new to the iPhone (and maybe even LCDs in general?), I'm not sure why this is such big news this morning. From a technological standpoint Super AMOLED panels have been in-cell for 2 years now.
Its different technology, with the added advantage of 'real' colors.
J.
Shut up and take my money?
Quote:
Originally Posted by blackbook
Whether the technology is new or not the prospect of an iPhone nearly as thin as the iPod Touch sounds interesting. Honestly the thinnest the large screen plus the LTE will make this one of the biggest hardware updates. I'm hoping for a few more "WOW" features (maybe inductive charging, NFC, or some ofer software feature) but all in all this is looking like a solid update
Unfortunately, the thinness we are talking about with this technology is only on the order of a half a millimetre or so in savings.
It's not a big deal, it won't save that much space in the iPhone at all nor will it let the iPhone be manufactured in as thin a form factor as the iPod touch. Why we are treated to endless articles about this very un-amazing, un-interesting, blasé technology I don't know.
the whole thin thing is over. what is the big benefit of a slightly thinner phone? It's a talking point, not a benefit to consumers. Give us more battery and longer talk times.
It's impossible, even with in-cell tech to make the iPhone as thin as the iPod touch. With LTE, possible NFC (lets hope not), better GPU/CPU and an actual camera, it is just to much extra.
This is a sick obsession with thin! Who cares about that??? My iPhone 4 is already thin enough, I don't need thinner. I need better battery so they could use this to put a bigger battery. A selling point for me would also be the inclusion of NFC since Orange has already started tests with NFC in my country and they lend Blackberry phones for the tests for now. I want NFC! But if they come in October and say: "Hey, look, this is the iPhone 5, it's thinneeeeeer!!!", then I'm sticking with my perfectly good iPhone 4.
Quote:
Originally Posted by NelsonX
This is a sick obsession with thin! Who cares about that???
+1
I just received my BTO Mac Pro Retina (replacing an old 17" MBP).
You know what? I prefer the thickness of the 17" over the new model. With my fat figures it's a whole lot harder to open the thing up and it doesn't feel comfortable when I carry it (it feels like it wants to slip out of my hands all the time).
I realize that a *lot* of people are enamored with "thin is in" for computer (and phone) gear, but some of us don't really care.
Magsafe 2, lack of ethernet port, lack of firewire port (okay, I can live with a dongle for that one), etc., just wasn't worth a few millimeters. I think I can get buy without the optical drive (well, with an external drive, anyway), but I'm not convinced that the thinness of the MBPR was worth the port arrangement and dongle requirement.
Just my 2cents.
Quote:
Originally Posted by logandigges
It's impossible, even with in-cell tech to make the iPhone as thin as the iPod touch. With LTE, possible NFC (lets hope not), better GPU/CPU and an actual camera, it is just to much extra.
The iPod Touch is 7.2mm thick. The Droid Razr, which includes LTE and camera, is 7.1mm thick. Considering the new iPhone screen is rumored to be 4.1" or thereabouts, giving them more interior space to work with, I think it could come in at the about the same thickness as the Touch if it was that important to Apple.
http://www.motorola.com/us/consumers/DROID-RAZR-BY-MOTOROLA/78281,en_US,pd.html?selectedTab=tab-2&cgid=mobile-phones
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gatorguy
The iPod Touch is 7.2mm thick. The Droid Razr, which includes LTE and camera, is 7.1mm thick. Considering the new iPhone screen is rumored to be 4.1" or thereabouts, giving them more interior space to work with, I think it could come in at the about the same thickness as the Touch if it was that important to Apple.
http://www.motorola.com/us/consumers/DROID-RAZR-BY-MOTOROLA/78281,en_US,pd.html?selectedTab=tab-2&cgid=mobile-phones
The Razr is not 7.1mm where the camera is.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gatorguy
The iPod Touch is 7.2mm thick. The Droid Razr, which includes LTE and camera, is 7.1mm thick. Considering the new iPhone screen is rumored to be 4.1" or thereabouts, giving them more interior space to work with, I think it could come in at the about the same thickness as the Touch if it was that important to Apple.
http://www.motorola.com/us/consumers/DROID-RAZR-BY-MOTOROLA/78281,en_US,pd.html?selectedTab=tab-2&cgid=mobile-phones
No, the Droid Razr is 11.1 mm thick on the bump. If the new iPhone includes an actual camera it cannot be the thinness or the iPod touch.
It's not about how thin they could get the phone but instead have more space or less weight to include other features like larger screen or bigger battery.
Quote:
Originally Posted by logandigges
No, the Droid Razr is 11.1 mm thick on the bump. If the new iPhone includes an actual camera it cannot be the thinness or the iPod touch.
Thanks for that. Forgot all about the "bump". If you include that, which you should, even the HTC Evo 4G LTE, at 8.9mm (.35") thick including camera, beats the Razr in the thinness category.
Max is 9 mm and s3 is 8.6mm
Manufactures should all do 4k batteries
http://cdn.macrumors.com/article-new/2012/04/iphone_in_cell_thickness.jpg
Quote:
Originally Posted by Just_Me
Max is 9 mm and s3 is 8.6mm
Manufactures should all do 4k batteries
The S3 is even thinner than the EVO, but with a larger battery? Did not realize that. Thanks for the mention.
Quote:
Originally Posted by blackbook
Accoring to graphics at other sites the phone will be almost as thin as the Touch. Whether these graphics are true or not is another thing.
http://cdn.macrumors.com/article-new/2012/04/iphone_in_cell_thickness.jpg
Maybe all the graphics and pictures of parts posted on sites claiming the next iPhone will be like an iPod Touch are simply graphics and pictures of parts related to the next iPod Touch.
I do think that space saved from the screen would be best applied to increasing 4G battery life rather than making the device thinner.
Quote:
Originally Posted by mrmantle
the whole thin thing is over. what is the big benefit of a slightly thinner phone? It's a talking point, not a benefit to consumers. Give us more battery and longer talk times.
I suspect that that is the point here. I don't agree that Apple will ever try to make a phone that is as thin as the iPod touch. any scant savings in thinness will be rolled over to either more storage, more battery, new chipsets to serve more carriers, different backlight to facilitate outdoor use that doesn't totally suck or a combo of these types of things. I could also see all this talk of a slightly longer phone being due to such things and the actual display not changing in the process in terms of its length. just half a CM at the top and bottom for adding a couple of internal bits around or slightly more battery etc
Its seems the the WSJ is simply the mouth piece for Apple when they want something "leaked" to generate buzz or in the case of the next iPhone build up user acceptance (for those who don't want a larger iPhone) for the larger 4" screen. This is hardly real news and nothing we haven't heard rumored for months. Given that Apple has the ability to push out newer technology that costs the same or relatively little more than prior technology (given their purchase volume and up front contracts with suppliers) it seems Apple is simply confirming what we suspected via the WSJ.
Now if the WSJ actually posted a picture or specific details of the next iPhone outside of Apple provided press material then it would be a major scoop and major news.