MacRumors.com

In a brief note, DigiTimes reports that Taiwanese firm Foxlink is currently developing micro projectors for use in mobile phones, with Apple being one of the companies expected to launch devices with built-in projectors later this year. The projectors would allow the iPhone and possibly the iPod touch to directly project video output onto an external surface.

International brand vendors, including Nokia, Samsung Electronics and Apple, reportedly all plan to launch handsets with built-in micro projectors by the end of this year, indicated the sources, adding that Foxlink is likely to benefit from the emerging trend due to its strong business relationships with Nokia and Apple.

Foxlink has long been a supplier for the iPhone and iPod, providing the proprietary connectors used in many of Apple's devices.

Micro projectors are just making their way into phones, although the resulting products are relatively bulky by mobile phone standards. Introduction of a new iPhone containing a micro projector by the end of this year would also be a significant deviation from Apple's usual product cycle that has seen the company release new iPhone models on a yearly basis each June or July.