HONG KONG—Apple Inc.'s (AAPL) next iPhone, currently being manufactured
by Asian component makers, will use a new technology that makes the
smartphone's screen thinner, people familiar with the matter said, as
the U.S. technology giant strives to improve technological features
amid intensifying competition from Samsung Electronics Co. (005930.SE)
and other rivals.
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. (LPL) are
currently mass producing panels for the next iPhone using so-called
in-cell technology, the people said.
Technological progress at LCD makers such as Sharp, Japan Display and LG
Display is crucial for Apple, given that Samsung has been pushing its
organic light-emitting displays as one of the unique features of its
Galaxy phones. Samsung's flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S III, comes
with a 4.8-inch OLED screen and is thinner than the current iPhone.
The current iPhone 4S is 9.3 millimeters thick, according to Apple's official web site.
For Apple, the new technology would also simplify the supply chain and
help cut costs as it would no longer have to buy touch panels and LCD
panels from separate suppliers.
