With the iPhone 4S celebrating sales success after just over a month on sale, it’s obviously time to start the Apple rumour mill churning again, with the next iPhone and iPad already in gadget lovers’ eyes.
We’ve waded through the rumours to pick out some legitimate talk about the iPhone 5 and iPad 3, with some interesting information surfacing this week about the size and type of screens that Apple plans to use in its future products.
The Wall Street Journal reports that Apple has already placed orders for the screen panels it requires to make the next generation iPad tablet. Quoting its own sources, the Journal says that the order has been placed with Sharp, not with Samsung and LG, who both provided panels for the iPad 2.
The article reads:
“Apple Inc. is adding Sharp Corp. as a maker of screens used in the next-generation iPad, people familiar with the situation said Thursday, as the U.S. consumer electronics company moves to diversify component suppliers for its products.”
This leads us to believe that other manufacturers could be added to the supply chain at a later date, so LG and Samsung could still be used.
The specifics about the screens Apple intends to use in the iPad 3 are as yet unknown, though plenty of rumours are floating around the web about a high resolution Retina Display. Apple wowed when they announced the high resolution, super bright and clear Retina Display for the iPhone 4, and many have sinced hoped the same tech will make it across to the iPad tablet. Apple usually refreshes the iPad line in March or April of each year, so we’re expecting to see more information leak online in the coming months.
4-inch iPhone 5
On the smaller scale, we’ve also heard plenty of talk about screen tech for the next iPhone, which we’re presuming will be dubbed the iPhone 5. Apple news website Macotakara recently claimed that some of Apple’s screen part suppliers have already received orders for 4-inch LCD screens from the Cupertino-based company.
The website states that both Sony and Hitatchi Displays have received orders for the screen panels from Apple, which would indicate at a larger iPhone hitting the market next year. The current iPhone 4S features a 3.5-inch touchscreen which runs close to the edge of the phone’s case, meaning that a larger 4-inch screen would result in a wider and possibly thinner iPhone.
A translated section of the post made by Macotakara reads:
“According to Asian source, Hitachi Displays, Ltd. and Sony Mobile Display Corporation started to ship 4-inch LCD for new iOS device and LCD for iPad 3. These 2 companies will be merged their business with Toshiba Mobile Display Co., Ltd., as “Japan Display” in 2012 spring.”
If Apple is planning to increase the screen size of the iPhone, we can envision the iPod Touch getting a similar upgrade in due time. Do you agree?
Let us know your thoughts on our comments below or via our @Gadget_Helpline Twitter page or Official Facebook group.
Sources: WSJ, Macokatara
Via: MacRumours