iPhone 5 Features: Reports Indicate Apple's Newest Smartphone to have a Thinner Screen

The Wall Street Journal confirmed that Apple's next iteration of the iPhone will have a thinner screen.

According to the reports, liquid-crystal-display makers Sharp Corp, Japan Display Inc., and LG Display Co. are fast at work creating massive quantities of panels for the next iPhone. They are utilizing "in-cell" technology.

This technology will combine touch sensors into the LCD, essentially ridding the phone of a separate touch layer. This new feature will make the phone and screen thinner, and improve the quality of the display.

The advantages are multi-faceted for Apple. Unlike its competition, Apple will be able cut costs and avoid purchasing extra panels. Moreover, a thinner phone with one less panel inevitably means a lighter phone; lessened weight would certainly be a tremendous selling point and would enable Apple to enlarge the screen. Finally, the new technology puts them back in the lead as innovators in the market. Samsung had been pushing its new light emitting displays as a unique feature of the Galaxy phones. Their latest iteration, the Galaxy S3 was also thinner than the current iPhone and features a bigger display.

However, there would be one caveat. The new in-cell screens are harder to manufacture than current LCD screens. THE WSJ reports that the manufacturers are finding the process challenging and "time-consuming".

The anticipation for Apple's latest device has been increasing incessantly over the last few months. Rumors have erupted and even the most minimal news has brought the internet into hysteria. Just yesterday, a new photograph of the supposed front cover of the phone generated interest. The biggest story of course continues to be the release date of the device. Apple has not confirmed when it will launch the iPhone 5 though most believe it is set for a fall release.

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