More Rumors of Toshiba-Apple Deal for iPhone LCDs, Sharp Excluded?

Dow Jones Newswires reports on claims from Japanese newspaper Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun that Apple has committed to invest in a Toshiba factory for iPhone LCD production, a report that also claims that Apple has abandoned a similar deal with Sharp for the displays.

The Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun reported that Apple now plans to invest only in Toshiba's new LCD panel plant currently under construction in Ishikawa Prefecture, central Japan.

The report said that Sharp was no longer a candidate for Apple's investment.

The article notes that Sharp has issued a statement refuting the claim, reporting that the statement "contradicts the facts". Sharp even went so far as to issue an official press release denying the claim urging the newspaper to withdraw the report and issue an apology.

Last December, reports appeared just days apart claiming that Apple was planning to invest alongside both Toshiba and Sharp for iPhone LCD plants, with each facility said to cost up to $1.2 billion.