WSJ Touts New Details About 6th-Gen iPhone Touchscreen

[Michael Essany]

The Wall Street Journal is throwing its credible journalistic weight behind a previous report that was once chalked up to the rumor mill. Now it appears that reality has trumped the rumor. According to the WSJ report in question, the 6th Generation Apple iPhone will, indeed, deliver a thinner touchscreen.

The WSJ says the next iPhone has already begun production in Asia and utilizes a new technology that makes the smartphone's screen even thinner than before.

Japanese liquid-crystal-display makers Sharp Corp. and Japan Display Inc.—a new company that combined three Japanese electronics makers' display units—as well as South Korea's LG Display Co. are currently mass producing panels for the next iPhone using so-called in-cell technology, the people said.

The sophisticated technology being employed integrates touch sensors into the LCD. As a result, the screen can be thinner because an additional touch-screen layer can now be avoided. The layer being tossed is believed to be approximately a half-a-millimeter thick.

The end result of this touchscreen's deployment, knowledgeable tech sources say, is not only a thinner screen, but a screen that delivers improved image clarity. So while consumers have two reasons to rejoice, Apple has the biggest. As it turns out, the new technology simplifies supply chain demands and helps to cut costs because Apple "would no longer need to buy touch panels and LCD panels from separate suppliers."

Source: WSJ

[Mrteacup]

just get gorilla glass 2 PLEASE!!!!!

[adamnur]

So it cuts costs. Next, what's good for the consumer because we sure as hell won't see those cost savings.

[tridley68]

So it cuts costs. Next, what's good for the consumer because we sure as hell won't see those cost savings.

Great news that production has already started maybe we will see the new i phone before October well one could only wish.

[The6uest]

So it cuts costs. Next, what's good for the consumer because we sure as hell won't see those cost savings.

It cuts costs on the screen but other new parts will probably cost more. Hopefully that allows a larger battery as well.

[aslammz.uk]

Great news for Apple... NO news for the consumer !!!

As the poster above has rightly stated, we, the consumer, won't see a penny of those cost savings passed onto us that's for sure.

[snap1500]

id rather they use the extra space for a larger battery than to make the phone look thinner. function over form please.

[thevmax]

Great news for Apple... NO news for the consumer !!!

As the poster above has rightly stated, we, the consumer, won't see a penny of those cost savings passed onto us that's for sure.

I am as pessimistic as the rest of you, I would like to point out that the price hasn't gone up either. Right now the 32gb iphone 4s on contract is still $299 as was the 32gb iphone 4. So I expect the iphone 5 ? to be the same price structure. (Don't get me wrong! I have always felt that the price is too high, but you get what you pay for.)

[roneraven]

There was an article about this on yahoo's main page earlier

[Dorkenstein909]

Great news that production has already started maybe we will see the new i phone before October well one could only wish.

We were lucky we've been able to get the iPhone at $199 or $299 in the first place. This was only possible with subsidies by the cell phone carriers which probably won't be around for the next iPhone, so lower costs means we can keep the iPhone at the same price without subsidies.

[Vader101101]

Durability of the LCD will be something to ask about. It will now probably be expensive to replace a cracked LCD for out of warranty devices as opposed to replacing the good old digitizer.

[bigboyz]

Well the thinner screen could mean better batter life with a larger battery? The lack of the digitizer means better resolution and overall clarity? The thinner screen means the next iPhone will cost less?? Umm NO! Since when has Apple thought about consumer cost? They make great products which we all love and no matter the cost we still buy them. Look at the Factory Unlocked iPhone market..iPads that cost more than a PC. MacBookPro's that cost twice or three times as much as a PC..Its always been that ways and i don't see it changing anytime soon. Now give me the next iPhone please :]

[jamesgunaca]

A little birdy told me that this new touchscreen will also be able to recognize finger prints...imagine not having to slide to unlock, just touch the screen and it knows it is you!

There is definitely more to this new screen than just shaving off 0.5mm.

[Haseeb Jamal]

Well personally i dont think they are including the finger print recognition thing

[GeoffS4]

Sooooo, whoever supplied the rumoured obsolete product (LCD panels???) should have a non-increase in production. Can't this kind of thing be confirmed by news investigators? Or supplied if that was their basis for conclusion.

[vbuen323]

Great news for Apple... NO news for the consumer !!!

As the poster above has rightly stated, we, the consumer, won't see a penny of those cost savings passed onto us that's for sure.

What are you talking about, you didn't save money when you purchased a new iPhone? I am amazed how cheap some people are. What do you expect to pay for a cellphone, 5 cents? Why don't you buy an Airphone from China? Those look like iPhones and are a fraction of the price. People rant about savings to the consumer, yet we have already saved. Blame your carrier, not Apple.