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iPhone 5 LTPS technology & panels reveal design

Leaks and rumors about the Apple iPhone 5 continue to swirl around the tech atmosphere and today we have some news regarding LTPS technology and also panels that reveal the design of the next iPhone. It looks very much as though the iPhone 5 could be a unibody metal build as has been highly speculated, and that’s something that we think will please many potential purchasers.

We’ll start with news about the panels, which give away a few other clues about what we can expect for the iPhone 5. Images have come to light purporting to show the back plate of the upcoming iPhone in both black and white trims while the majority of the back plate is metal. Whether the metal is to serve a purpose or whether it’s merely part of the cosmetic design is in question but either way we think it looks pretty stylish.

The photos came to our attention from 9to5Mac who point out that the metal antenna band appears to be molded into the backplates so that it looks like a unibody enclosure reminiscent of the MacBook Air. This type of design allows for more room for the internals whilst keeping the device slim, light and durable and will be especially useful considering the rumored LTE connectivity for the iPhone 5 and the larger battery it will need for this.

Other features shown in the images are a smaller dock connector, which has also been rumored, redesigned speaker grills and an opening between the camera lens and the LED flash. The reason for this opening is not yet known but it could be for a repositioned microphone. It also appears that the earphone jack has been shifted to the bottom of the phone.

Yet more photos reveal the frame for the next-generation iPhone and this shows that there will still be a home button. It also reveals a width the same as the current iPhone but a little longer. Again, this fits with recent leaks about a taller screen and its thought that this will have a resolution of 1136 x 640 and a diagonal size of 3.999-inches. More photos of the front glass show that the lens of the front-facing camera has been moved above the earpiece and that these units are being tested with the Micro-SIM technology of the iPhone 4S.

In more iPhone 5 news it’s reported that the LTPS technology being used could see Apple taking up to around 70% capacity of high-resolution LTPS screen supplies. This means that other manufacturers may find the low-temperature poly-silicon touchscreens in short supply. Apple Insider informs of a Digitimes report saying that production of the iPhone 5 will begin very shortly, at the end of the second quarter or beginning of the third quarter of this year and the that the handset will be even thinner because of the use of in-cell touch panels.

These panels are expected to come from LG Display, Japan Display and Sharp, all names previously rumored to supply a new larger display for the iPhone 5 and which collectively can produce around 95 million LTPS displays per quarter. This sounds like huge amounts but if the iPhone 5 sells in the amounts anticipated then it does seem likely that LTPS displays could be in limited supply for other makers.

Plenty of iPhone 5 news to get your teeth into today then and it still looks like a fall launch is the most likely. The closer we get to that all-important release date the more we’ll be hearing although of course, none of this will be confirmed until Apple chooses to officially announce the iPhone 5. Until then we’ll continue to keep readers informed on all the latest leaks and developments.

We’d like to hear your thoughts on all of this latest information. Does the likelihood of a unibody display for the iPhone 5 please you? Are you happy to hear about a larger display? Let us know with your comments.

Comments

4 thoughts on “iPhone 5 LTPS technology & panels reveal design”

  1. Spam says:

    One of the things that displeases me in the new phones is the fact the larger display. I have an iPad for anything I want to use as a larger display. I am more than happy with the current size of the iPhone and would prefer something to not take up my entire pocket to be honest!

    To be honest I am not entirely sure it has the wow factor…..I may just stick with my 4 or 4s for the time being as I really do not want to go Android…

      1. iGator says:

        They already said that the screen size isn’t changing. It would ruin the aspect ratios and even if they made te resolution the same the ppi would drop dramatically, something apple is not going to do. It would require too much work and painful changes to the millions of apps… Larger screen is HIGHLY doubtful

    1. Nigel says:

      Wow what a fanboy. You already have a 4S and are bitching about the 5’s screen? Then like you said just keep your 4 and shut up!!!! Others like me have been stuck with a 3GS for three years waiting for something new from apple that keeps up with modern sizing. And ya, if I could I would change my iPad 3 LTE to a phone if i could but iOS restricts that option. It’s been proven with the iPad 2 that this is a fact. So bring on a 4 or 5 inch iPhone 5. If they don’t, mark my words millions of people will go android S3 or equivelant.

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