Sharp Now Producing 'Adequate Volumes' of iPhone 5 Display

Reuters reports that Sharp has publicly stated that it is now producing "adequate volumes" of the display for the iPhone 5, bolstering Apple's efforts to catch up with high demand for the device.

Sharp Corp is making "adequate volumes" of displays it is known to supply for Apple Inc's new iPhone5, a company executive said, indicating that a possible bottleneck in supplies of screens may have eased.

Analysts had blamed a shortfall in supplies of display for leaving Apple with too few iPhones to meet burgeoning demand at its launch this month.

sharp logo
Deutsche Securities analyst Yasuo Nakane estimates that Japan Display and LG Display are capable of producing roughly eight million displays per month each, while Sharp's capacity is pegged at six million displays. With Sharp reportedly having not been ready for the initial batch of iPhone 5 units, over 25% of display production capacity appears to have been offline until just two weeks ago.

Sharp's full production of the iPhone 5 display comes as existing shortages in Apple's first round of launch markets are being compounded by today's expansion to 22 new countries and several more carriers in existing markets.

Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

iphone 16 display

iPhone 17's Scratch Resistant Anti-Reflective Display Coating Canceled

Monday April 28, 2025 12:48 pm PDT by
Apple may have canceled the super scratch resistant anti-reflective display coating that it planned to use for the iPhone 17 Pro models, according to a source with reliable information that spoke to MacRumors. Last spring, Weibo leaker Instant Digital suggested Apple was working on a new anti-reflective display layer that was more scratch resistant than the Ceramic Shield. We haven't heard...
iPhone 17 Air Pastel Feature

iPhone 17 Reaches Key Milestone Ahead of Mass Production

Monday April 28, 2025 8:44 am PDT by
Apple has completed Engineering Validation Testing (EVT) for at least one iPhone 17 model, according to a paywalled preview of an upcoming DigiTimes report. iPhone 17 Air mockup based on rumored design The EVT stage involves Apple testing iPhone 17 prototypes to ensure the hardware works as expected. There are still DVT (Design Validation Test) and PVT (Production Validation Test) stages to...
Beyond iPhone 13 Better Blue

20th Anniversary iPhone Likely to Be Made in China Due to 'Extraordinarily Complex' Design

Monday April 28, 2025 4:29 am PDT by
Apple will likely manufacture its 20th anniversary iPhone models in China, despite broader efforts to shift production to India, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In 2027, Apple is planning a "major shake-up" for the iPhone lineup to mark two decades since the original model launched. Gurman's previous reporting indicates the company will introduce a foldable iPhone alongside a "bold"...
iphone 17 air iphone 16 pro

iPhone 17 Air USB-C Port May Have This Unusual Design Quirk

Wednesday April 30, 2025 3:59 am PDT by
Apple is preparing to launch a dramatically thinner iPhone this September, and if recent leaks are anything to go by, the so-called iPhone 17 Air could boast one of the most radical design shifts in recent years. iPhone 17 Air dummy model alongside iPhone 16 Pro (credit: AppleTrack) At just 5.5mm thick (excluding a slightly raised camera bump), the 6.6-inch iPhone 17 Air is expected to become ...
apple watch ultra yellow

What's Next for the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and Apple Watch SE 3

Friday April 25, 2025 2:44 pm PDT by
This week marks the 10th anniversary of the Apple Watch, which launched on April 24, 2015. Yesterday, we recapped features rumored for the Apple Watch Series 11, but since 2015, the Apple Watch has also branched out into the Apple Watch Ultra and the Apple Watch SE, so we thought we'd take a look at what's next for those product lines, too. 2025 Apple Watch Ultra 3 Apple didn't update the...
iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 13 New Features

Wednesday April 23, 2025 8:31 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
iPhone 17 Pro on Desk Feature

All iPhone 17 Models Again Rumored to Feature 12GB of RAM

Tuesday April 29, 2025 3:36 am PDT by
All upcoming iPhone 17 models will come equipped with 12GB of RAM to support Apple Intelligence, according to the Weibo-based leaker Digital Chat Station. The claim from the Chinese leaker, who has sources within Apple's supply chain, comes a few days after industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that the iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max will all be equipped with 12GB of RAM. ...
AirPods Pro 3 Mock Feature

AirPods Pro 3 Just Months Away – Here's What We Know

Tuesday April 29, 2025 1:30 am PDT by
Despite being more than two years old, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 still dominate the premium wireless‑earbud space, thanks to a potent mix of top‑tier audio, class‑leading noise cancellation, and Apple's habit of delivering major new features through software updates. With AirPods Pro 3 widely expected to arrive in 2025, prospective buyers now face a familiar dilemma: snap up the proven...

Top Rated Comments

JGowan Avatar
164 months ago
Apple needs to break free as far from Samsung as possible. I believe this to be a very positive thing as Samsung needs to stand under their own merits, free from profits due to Apple's success. Not only for screens but ram and any other component Apple needs to make its products. Everything needs to come from other suppliers. I know that Samsung does a good job, but I'm sure that other companies can grow in order to supply great parts in the volumes that Apple needs.

Any money Apple eventually gets from the courts ($1.04B or triple damages on that number) is nothing compared to the thumping Samsung will get with Apple showing Samsung completely to the door. Which, I think, is exactly the thing that needs to happen.

Samsung,... Google. You boys are no longer invited to play with Apple.
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Prallethrin Avatar
164 months ago
This is probably one of the most ignorant posts I have had the pleasure or reading. Apple is being stupid in breaking from one of the best Nand, LCD, and Mobile CPU producers on the planet. Your iPhones are going to be filled with 2nd/3rd tier products with higher failure rates. I guess if you like traveling multiple times to the apple store when your phone fails that is fine, but personally when I spend that much money on a phone/laptop I expect it to have the best quality parts on it. Not 2nd/3rd tier, because they feel they need to throw a fit.

If you think their suppliers they are going to be using aren't bad. Look up Hynix that is your new Nand producer, look at sharp for your lcd, and I don't even want to delve into who they are going to have make their CPUs. ROFL Global foundries was thrown around and they are atrocious.

Oh please. Samsung isn't some magic company that is the only one to be able to create "high quality" components. There are many factors involved in component sourcing, e.g. Price.

Samsung can do it cheap that's why Apple buys from them. And cost partly comes down to economy of scale. By supporting Samsung's rivals Apple is helping them "power up" in industrial capacity and with more revenue they can up their R&D as well - hire better engineers etc.

It's win-win for Apple as it gives them more suppliers to source from and competition between them will force down the price and drive innovation. It also give Apple more leverage as they can dump whoever displeases them and go to their competitor.

Oh and Sharp is quite a big player in LCDs with many patents to their name. They have been in trouble lately due to the high Yen - and low domestic demand for TVs. The iPhone 5's display is the best iPhone display yet, if not the best mobile display ever apart from the newest iPad - http://www.displaymate.com/Smartphone_ShootOut_2.htm

----------

Samsung/Sony are the best, their joint venture has made stunning results. Sharpe always have bee and always will be second rate, just like LG.

As for other components. The less said the better.

So people are happy to sacrifice quality and Apple to start using suppliers that were too *iss poor to win contracts the first time round?

Well if they're that ***** thick then let them be ripped off even more, paying the same price for a 3rd rate device.

Ha. Sorry, IPS > PVA in most cases especially in colour accuracy.

Sony has bailed on the jointed venture and has started using Sharp panels.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JGowan Avatar
164 months ago
Apple is not an Island onto itself. They cannot do everything. But they do need to stop relying on companies that steal their products, like Google and Samsung.
You said what I wanted to say in a much more concise manner. Thanks.

You're right... Apple needs partners. Trustworthy partners that can be counted on to supply and not steal!
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BimmerJP Avatar
164 months ago
Good! I love sharp TV/display. I think :apple: made a good choice there :)
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
redbotsoftware Avatar
164 months ago
Apple needs to break free as far from Samsung as possible. I believe this to be a very positive thing as Samsung needs to stand under their own merits, free from profits due to Apple's success. Not only for screens but ram and any other component Apple needs to make its products. Everything needs to come from other suppliers. I know that Samsung does a good job, but I'm sure that other companies can grow in order to supply great parts in the volumes that Apple needs.

Any money Apple eventually gets from the courts ($1.04B or triple damages on that number) is nothing compared to the thumping Samsung will get with Apple showing Samsung completely to the door. Which, I think, is exactly the thing that needs to happen.

Samsung,... Google. You boys are no longer invited.

Apple is not an Island onto itself. They cannot do everything. But they do need to stop relying on companies that steal their products, like Google and Samsung.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Prallethrin Avatar
164 months ago
[/COLOR]

Apple wouldn't be where they are today without Samsung.

Same can be said about Samsung. >.>

They profited quite a bit in the relationship with Apple. They decide to sabotage it. /shrug I sure there are many other companies quite willing to take their place.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)