TPK to Reportedly Supply Flexible AMOLED Panels For Apple's iWatch

TPK-logoApple may be choosing TPK as a touch panel supplier for its rumored iWatch, says a report in China Times (Via Digitimes). The Taiwan-based company will supposedly begin mass production of flexible AMOLED panels for the iWatch in the second half of 2014.

The report said the iWatch will come equipped with a flexible AMOLED display and 3D protective glass. The rumors also speculated that the iWatch will use silver nanowire touch screen technology developed by TPK in conjunction with Japan-based Nissha Printing.

The rumor suggests Apple will use silver nanowire touch screen technology in the iWatch display. Current flat touch panels use indium tin oxide (ITO), which is brittle and not suitable for a flexible display. Silver nanowires, however, are nanometers thin and can be applied to a 3D curved glass surface, like a watch band in a solution-based, roll-to- printing technique. The silver wire matrix is transparent to the eye and conductive, making silver nanowires perfect for a flexible touchsreen display.

Last year, TPK signed a deal with Japanese firm Nissha Printing to start producing silver nanowire touchscreen displays. Production will ramp up in Q2 2014, with a manufacturing output of two million 6-inch touch panels per month.

TPK is among the world's top touch panel manufacturers by volume and has been supplying Apple with panels for several years. The Taiwanese company was one of the primary suppliers of the touchscreen for the original iPad and provided up to 80% of the panels for the iPhone 4S models.

Related Roundup: Apple Watch 11
Buyer's Guide: Apple Watch (Buy Now)

Popular Stories

iOS 26

When Will Apple Release iOS 26.2?

Monday December 1, 2025 4:37 pm PST by
We're getting closer to the launch of the final major iOS update of the year, with Apple set to release iOS 26.2 in December. We've had three betas so far and are expecting a fourth beta or a release candidate this week, so a launch could follow as soon as next week. Past Launch Dates Apple's past iOS x.2 updates from the last few years have all happened right around the middle of the...
maxresdefault

iPhone Fold: Launch, Pricing, and What to Expect From Apple's Foldable

Monday December 1, 2025 3:00 am PST by
Apple is expected to launch a new foldable iPhone next year, based on multiple rumors and credible sources. The long-awaited device has been rumored for years now, but signs increasingly suggest that 2026 could indeed be the year that Apple releases its first foldable device. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Below, we've collated an updated set of key details that ...
Sad Siri Feature

Apple AI Chief John Giannandrea Retiring After Siri Delays

Monday December 1, 2025 2:16 pm PST by
Apple AI chief John Giannandrea is stepping down from his position and retiring in spring 2026, Apple announced today. Giannandrea will serve as an advisor between now and 2026, with former Microsoft AI researcher Amar Subramanya set to take over as vice president of AI. Subramanya will report to Apple engineering chief Craig Federighi, and will lead Apple Foundation Models, ML research, and ...
Netflix Smaller 4

Netflix Kills Casting From Its Mobile App to Most Modern TVs

Monday December 1, 2025 4:36 am PST by
Netflix has quietly removed the ability to cast content from its mobile apps to most modern TVs and streaming devices, including newer Chromecast models and the Google TV Streamer. The change was first spotted by users on Reddit and confirmed in an updated Netflix support page (via Android Authority), which now states that the streaming service no longer supports casting from mobile devices...
ios 18 to ios 26 upgrade

Apple Pushes iPhone Users Still on iOS 18 to Upgrade to iOS 26

Tuesday December 2, 2025 11:09 am PST by
Apple is encouraging iPhone users who are still running iOS 18 to upgrade to iOS 26 by making the iOS 26 software upgrade option more prominent. Since iOS 26 launched in September, it has been displayed as an optional upgrade at the bottom of the Software Update interface in the Settings app. iOS 18 has been the default operating system option, and users running iOS 18 have seen iOS 18...
Touchscreen MacBook Feature

Here Are the Four MacBooks Apple Is Expected to Launch Next Year

Monday December 1, 2025 5:00 am PST by
2026 could be a bumper year for Apple's Mac lineup, with the company expected to announce as many as four separate MacBook launches. Rumors suggest Apple will court both ends of the consumer spectrum, with more affordable options for students and feature-rich premium lines for users that seek the highest specifications from a laptop. Below is a breakdown of what we're expecting over the next ...
iphone 17 cyber

iPhone 17 Demand Is Breaking Apple's Sales Records

Tuesday December 2, 2025 9:44 am PST by
Apple's iPhone 17 lineup is selling well enough that Apple is on track to ship more than 247.4 million total iPhones in 2025, according to a new report from IDC. Total 2025 shipments are forecast to grow 6.1 percent year over year due to iPhone 17 demand and increased sales in China, a major market for Apple. Overall worldwide smartphone shipments across Android and iOS are forecast to...
Cyber Week Deals 2025

Best Cyber Week Apple Deals Include Big Discounts on AirPods, Apple Watch, and More

Sunday November 30, 2025 7:33 am PST by
Cyber Week is here, and you can find popular Apple products like AirPods, iPad, Apple Watch, and more at all-time low prices. In this article, the majority of the discounts will be found on Amazon. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running. Specifically,...
iOS 26

What to Expect From Apple This December: iOS 26.3 Beta, Replay 2025, and More

Monday December 1, 2025 8:40 am PST by
The calendar has turned to December, and the quieter year-end holiday season is now upon us. Nevertheless, we can still expect a few things from Apple this month. Apple previously announced that iOS 26.2 will be released to the general public in December, and we can expect corresponding updates to be released as well, including iPadOS 26.2, macOS 26.2, watchOS 26.2, tvOS 26.2, and visionOS...
studio display purple february

M5 iPad Pro Could Hint at New Studio Display Feature

Sunday November 30, 2025 10:30 am PST by
The updated specs of the M5 iPad Pro may point toward a major new feature for Apple's next-generation Studio Display expected in early 2026. Apple's latest iPad Pro debuted last month and contains one display-related change that stands out: it can now drive external monitors at up to 120Hz with Adaptive Sync. The feature should deliver lower latency, smoother motion, and fewer visual...

Top Rated Comments

mattopotamus Avatar
154 months ago
It'll be interesting if Apple produce a device that'll convince me that a watch is a must have.

I never liked wearing watches, even before mobile phones became commonplace. I'd rely on public clocks or time displays on machines to find out the time as I just found watches irritating on my wrist.

Before the iPhone came out I could not think how Apple could improve upon a BlackBerry but as soon as the iPhone was released everything seemed so obvious.

So I'm personally not interested in medical sensors, I'm not interested in a more convenient way to tell the time or interact with my smart phone.

Now Apple - will you make things interesting for me?

Well watches, in recent times, have become more of a fashion statement.

As someone who owns a pebble, I will always own a smartwatch going forward. I get several notifications daily that I need, but do not need to respond to. Not having to pull my phone out to see that notification is a huge benefit!
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
APlotdevice Avatar
154 months ago
I'd rather have a persistent ePaper display that sips battery than an OLED that I'll have to turn on constantly and will still only manage a couple days at most.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MacLC Avatar
154 months ago
It'll be interesting if Apple produce a device that'll convince me that a watch is a must have.

I never liked wearing watches, even before mobile phones became commonplace. I'd rely on public clocks or time displays on machines to find out the time as I just found watches irritating on my wrist.

Before the iPhone came out I could not think how Apple could improve upon a BlackBerry but as soon as the iPhone was released everything seemed so obvious.

So I'm personally not interested in medical sensors, I'm not interested in a more convenient way to tell the time or interact with my smart phone.

Now Apple - will you make things interesting for me?
Very well put Dave. That is what one of my former teachers would call healthy skepticism. I as well have little to zero excitement about the iWatch concept and I shared that with some friends who then went off bashing the whole I idea. I reminded them how they thought iPods (later smartphones and tablets) were stupid before they got one. Of course it's "I have been wrong every time but this time I am right!"

You have
desktop > laptop > tablet > smartphone >watch> glass hole
Seems like a lot of overlap. Tablets are already cannibalizing laptop sales despite being less productive (unless you like microtransaction games). Will watches cannibalize smartphone sales? That would be my biggest fear in a world where digital devices are over-saturated.
Well no, my biggest fear would be of teachers forcing students to remove iWatches before tests then students' parents successfully suing because forced-removal of heart rate monitors is a violation of constitutional rights. Public education in the US and Europe is already nigh on meaningless.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Karma*Police Avatar
154 months ago

Naturally many will not 'get it' before actually seeing it, because they can't make enough of a mental leap away from what watches have always been to people. Many had the same doubts about the Macintosh, iPod, iPhone and iPad prior to release...

All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident.
- Arthur Schopenhauer

Not surprisingly, Apple's most revolutionary products went through these stages: Mac, iPhone and iPad.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Z8beema Avatar
154 months ago
Oh come on, Apple's supply chain is more holey than a pope gunned down by the mafia while holding a block of Swiss cheese.

Well.... That was quite the analogy
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Dave532 Avatar
154 months ago
It'll be interesting if Apple produce a device that'll convince me that a watch is a must have.

I never liked wearing watches, even before mobile phones became commonplace. I'd rely on public clocks or time displays on machines to find out the time as I just found watches irritating on my wrist.

Before the iPhone came out I could not think how Apple could improve upon a BlackBerry but as soon as the iPhone was released everything seemed so obvious.

So I'm personally not interested in medical sensors, I'm not interested in a more convenient way to tell the time or interact with my smart phone.

Now Apple - will you make things interesting for me?
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)