Apple Supplier Japan Display reportedly saved by $723M bailout from China and Taiwan
Loss-making Apple screen supplier Japan Display has reportedly been saved by a $723M bailout by a group of investors from China and Taiwan …
Noted Apple analyst suggests 6.1-inch LCD iPhone may not be available until October
Morgan Stanley’s Katy Huberty, a noted Apple analyst, suggests that the 6.1-inch LCD iPhone may not go on sale until October. The delay is said to be down to production problems with the innovative backlighting system, which is believed to be key to the near-bezel-free design.
We currently see no delay in the ramp of Apple’s upcoming flagship 5.8″ or 6.5″ OLED iPhones. However suspected issues with LED backlight leakage have caused a 1 month delay in mass production of the 6.1″ LCD iPhone, although this is down from a 6-week delay baked into the original production forecast, according to suppliers …
Supply-chain report says LG to supply screens for 20M 6.1-inch LCD iPhones
Earlier reports have suggested that LG is likely to supply OLED screens for between two million and five million 2018 iPhones, and a new report today says that the company will also pick up a more substantial order for the LCD model …
Supply-chain report explains how this year’s LCD iPhone could be near-bezel-free
All three of this year’s iPhones are expected to have the near-bezel-free design of the iPhone X, despite the fact that the cheapest one will have an LCD screen.
It’s so far been unclear how slim the bottom bezel could be when using an LCD screen instead of an OLED one, but a supply-chain report today may have the answer …
Analyst speculates that this year’s LCD iPhone could come in blue, yellow and pink
There’s widespread expectation that Apple will launch three new iPhone models this year – an iPhone X successor, a larger Plus model, and a cheaper version with a similar design to the X but with an LCD screen instead of OLED.
One analyst thinks this creates a need for Apple to visually distinguish the cheaper model, and he believes color might be the solution …
BMW will finally launch support for Apple’s CarPlay later this year
While recent reports have detailed talks between Apple and BMW related to Apple’s behind-the-scenes electric car project, BMW has long been one of the last major holdouts to bring Apple’s current in-dash CarPlay platform to its vehicles. That looks like it will change later this year when at least two models will get support for CarPlay.
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Report: Samsung to be Apple’s primary OLED display supplier as it invests up to $7.5B in readiness
Korea’s ET News claims that Samsung will become Apple’s primary supplier of OLED display panels, stating that an agreement has “practically been decided.” Samsung is reportedly gearing-up for the contract with an initial investment of between $2.49B and $3.32B in plant and equipment, rising to $7.47B depending on order levels.
Apple currently uses OLED displays in the Watch. Rumors that it will switch to OLED for the iPhone have been doing the rounds for many years, but have been getting much more specific of late. The switch is said to be happening in 2018, with Apple recently reported to be ‘close to agreement‘ with suppliers. The most recent report named both Samsung and LG as likely suppliers …
The rumors of iPhones with OLED screens gather pace: Apple said to be ‘close to agreement’ with suppliers
Rumors that Apple will be switching from IPS LCD to OLED displays for future iPhones have been doing the rounds for many years – though the latest one reported by Reuters does get a little more specific than most.
LG and Samsung Display are close to a final agreement with Apple for the screens, the Electronic Times report said, adding the two Korean firms plan a combined 15 trillion won ($12.8 billion) in capital expenditure to build up OLED production capacity over the next two to three years.
It was claimed last month that Apple plans to start using OLED screens for iPhones starting in 2018, supporting an earlier report that Apple would be sticking with LCD for the iPhone 7.
There are pros and cons to the competing display technologies …
Tests reveal how Apple improved iPad Pro’s display, & why iPad mini 4 is still best overall
DisplayMate is out today with a comparison of iPad displays following the introduction of Apple’s new larger 12.9-inch iPad, and the results might surprise you.
While the larger display on the iPad Pro is one of the device’s standout features on Apple’s latest and greatest iPad, the iPad mini 4, introduced alongside the iPad Pro to not quite as much fanfare, actually beats out its bigger sibling in several categories. The iPad Pro, however, does hold its own and DisplayMate’s analysis shows a number of improvements Apple has made to make it one of its best displays for a mobile device yet.
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4.7-inch iPhone 6 LCD bracket shown in new photo?
A new photo posted to Apple.Club.tw shows off what is claimed to be the LCD and home button bracket for the upcoming 4.7-inch iPhone 6. We’ve already gotten a look at several parts of the unannounced smartphone in recent leaks, from the sapphire crystal glass to the front of the shell in both black and white. Yesterday we got a look at the back casing for this device as well.
It’s difficult to tell if this part actually belongs to the iPhone 6. It is possible this is a frame for the upcoming Amazon Fire Phone which has a similar structure and camera components on all four corners. The frame also appears less round and thicker than the previously leaked iPhone 6 frames.
These aren’t the first such leaks in recent months. We’ve seen other photos of the front and back of the 4.7-inch phone from last month. The part shown in this new photo seems to fit with those components.
Will the Mac go touch? Unlikely, but here’s what a 32″ 4K IGZO Touch Mac looks like
It looks like Sharp is planning full support for OS X in its upcoming 32-inch 4K IGZO touchscreen LCD LED monitor (PN-K322B) expected to launch in the US this fall. Sharp previously announced the 36 mm thin 4K panel with pen support in July, but Macotakara.jp snapped the photo above of Sharp demoing the display running OS X from a connected MacBook at the Ceatec Japan 2013 show over the weekend.
From the translated report, it sounds like Sharp plans compatible OS X drivers as a download in 1-2 months.
Apart from touch support, the monitor is much the same as the 32-inch 4K IGZO display that we were quite impressed with when Sharp first showed them off at CES in January.
You can get a better look at the display from earlier this year in the video below:
Intel announces 2014 Thunderbolt update with 4K support; opens door for Retina iMacs?
Retina iMac mockup via <a href="http://macspoilers.com/665/a-slimmed-down-retina-imac-rumored-to-launch-with-the-ipad-min/"><em>MacSpoilers</em></a>
Today, Intel announced a new version of its Thunderbolt technology that will ship with devices in 2014. The new Thunderbolt technology supports up to 20Gbps throughput, which is up from the 10 Gbps supported by the current version of Thunderbolt.
Notably, the new technology supports 4K resolutions, which could open the door for even higher-resolution Mac displays. Perhaps, this is the technology that Apple needs to work with in order to begin a Retina display rollout for its all-in-one desktop computer, the iMac, or even Mac Pro compatible Thunderbolt displays.
Report: Hon Hai source says 46 to 55-inch Apple TV set in testing, no panel supplier confirmed, 2013 launch unlikely
Last week, a report from The Wall Street Journal claimed Apple’s much rumored HDTV set is now in the “early stages of testing” with partners Hon Hai Precision and Sharp. Today, we get more details surrounding the rumored product from the Taiwan national news agency’s English language Focus Taiwan. According to the report, citing sources close to Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., the supplier is testing Apple television designs, but the possibility of the product shipping in 2013 is “unlikely”:
Nevertheless, the source said it is unlikely that shipments of the appliances will begin as soon as the end of next year.
While the report from WSJ claimed Sharp was involved in the initial testing of the product with Hon Hai, Focus Taiwan’s source claimed the possibility of Sharp displaying panels for the product is “not high”:
Asked whether the new Apple TV will use display panels produced by Japan’s Sharp Corp., the source said the possibility is not high.
The source also claimed that Apple is looking at displays ranging from 46 inches to 55 inches, meaning the company likely wouldn’t rely on Sharp’s plants best suited for production of 60+ inch panels:
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Sharp announces first IGZO 7-inch tablet, claims battery life increased over 2X with new tech rumored for Apple’s mini iPad
We heard reports in the past that Apple passed on Sharp’s IGZO display tech for the third-generation iPad due to Sharp not having the tech ready in time. Going with Sharp’s IGZO tech would have allowed for a thinner display assembly, a brighter display with less LEDs, and the ability to use a smaller battery or extend battery life specs as a result. It could have also helped shave off some of the increased weight and depth of the new iPad. These are all things we witnessed first hand when we got up close and personal with a few IGZO demos at IFA this year. Sharp is announcing today its first 7-inch tablet to use the display technology, claiming the 1,280-by-800 IGZO display allows for 2.5 times the battery life from the tablet’s 2,040mAh battery (via ComputerWorld).
With the iPad mini launch coming later this month, it is a possibility the tech is finally ready for Apple to take advantage. Sharp also has 10-inch and 13-inch variants of the IGZO displays, but the 7-inch would of course make a lot of sense for iPad mini given what we already know about the device. Apple’s ability to increase battery life, or simply have the ability to use a smaller battery (in a smaller form factor) while maintaining battery life specs, is just one benefit. Another big benefit for Apple would be narrow borders: rumor has it—which is something we also talked about a lot in the past—the iPad mini will have a much narrower border than previous-generation iPads. Sharp told us its IGZO LCDs can be built with a bezel under 2mm, and it was showing off a demo display with a 1.75mm border at IFA. That would definitely fit the bill for the narrow-border, one-handed experience we expect from iPad mini.
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Apple to start using Panny displays in its devices?
According to a new report from Japanese paper Diamond Online, Apple may be on the way to using Panasonic’s LCDs for its devices. Panasonic has reportedly dropped out of the TV-set LCD business, and it wants to move to making LCDs for smaller devices like tablets, handsets, laptops, desktops, and more. It has provided “sample high resolution LCD panels for Apple,” and Apple is said to “be satisfied with the samples.”
Panasonic will begin work on the smaller LCDs at its Himeji factory, an eco-friendly factory founded in 2010. The plant aims to “reduce energy use in production.” There are no details if an agreement has been signed between Apple and Panasonic or when that might be.
In the past, Apple has used Samsung, LG, and Sharp for high-resolution panels. However, in recent reports, many have said that Apple is reducing component orders from Samsung due to the two companies’ ongoing patent disputes that have been playing out worldwide.
Apple may be looking for new display partners so it can avoid running into production hiccups when a new product is launched. Part of the iPhone 5 delay for many customers could be contributed to manufacturing difficulties at Sharp and others. More partners means more production.
