Juro Osawa and Lorraine Luk reporting for the Wall Street Journal state that, “Apple Inc.’s 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. and other rivals.” The report when on to say that , “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.”
Christina Bonnington writing for Wired, shed some light on how this technology will improve the next iPhone. Christina reports that, “Currently, the iPhone’s “on cell” display is layered a bit like a sandwich (or if you’re feeling like dessert, think of a trifle). At the very bottom, you’ve got the back light. Directly above that, the LCD section, which houses the red-, green-, and blue-colored pixels of the display. Then there’s a layer of glass. On top of that is the capacitive touch layer, which is then topped off by a tough layer of Gorilla Glass. The middle layer of glass separates the liquid crystal portion of the display from the touch portion.”.
Christina reports, “In-cell display tech eliminates that middle layer of glass, combining the LCD and touch sections of the display into a single layer. One way this can be successfully accomplished is by “multiplexing” the electrodes normally used to relay touch input — that is, using the same electrodes to handle the signals for both touch control and the pixels of the LCD, according to a 2010 IHS report on touch-screen displays.”
Christina writes, “In-cell technology isn’t currently deployed in any shipping cellphones. And it shouldn’t be confused with the similar-sounding “Super” technologies from Samsung. Super AMOLED and Super LCD screens use on-cell technology rather than in-cell. Right now, in-cell touch displays are still an emerging technology. So while the core technology promises long-term benefits, yield rates could be a problem in the shorter terms according to experts”
Sources: Wall Street Journal, Wired
Image Credit: Apple