/article-new/2012/04/iphone_4s_retina_glass-150x194.jpg?lossy)
Taiwan's Central News Agency reports on comments from DisplaySearch analyst David Hsieh, who believes that Apple is planning to use new "in-cell" display technology from Japanese manufacturers in the next-generation iPhone. The move would benefit suppliers such as Sony, Sharp, and Toshiba, which currently lead the industry in the technology.
Compared with on-cell technology, touch panels that use in-cell technology can be made thinner because the touch sensors are actually placed inside the color filters rather than on top of them, he explained.
At present, Taiwan's TPK Holding Co. and Wintek Corp., which supply touch panels to Apple, use mainly on-cell technology in their products, according to the two companies.
The occasionally-reliable Digitimes is reporting similar claims based on "sources in Apple's supply chain", indicating that improvements in yield rates for the in-cell panels have made it feasible for Apple to use the technology in its products. According to the report, Sharp and Toshiba will be ramping up their production of in-cell panels this quarter.
Top Rated Comments
I qualify my "cool" just because whenever I use my iPhone the last thing I ever think is "Man, I wish this thing was thinner."
My 40-year-old eyes are just hoping the 4" screen rumors are true (and I'm pretty sure they are).
I'm glad that all 3 companies innovating or leading this technology are Japanese.
Japan needs the support in recent times.
When has it ever been available in May?
If the LCD is thinner, i just hope they put a larger battery.
While the thinness of the device is cool, what I think is really cool is the thing you touch is going to get closer to your finger. Seems perhaps a minor detail, but increasing the illusion of tactile response is far more interesting to me than throwing in a quad core processor. This along with reducing the response time is going to be amazing.