Apple is reportedly planning to adopt a new, next generation display technology across its Mac, iPhone and iPad product lines – with 5-inch iPhones potentially part of the roadmap.
Citing industry sources, Korea IT News reports Korean display giant and Samsung rival LG Display has made a major investment in the production of a new display technology, known as low-temperature polycrystalline silicon (LTPS), at the request of Apple.
Following the request, LG Display abruptly increased its LTPS display capacity from 130,000m2 to 230,000m2.
LTPS production was also increased at facilities owned by Japan Display, a company formed from the mergers of the display panel manufacturing businesses of Sony, Hitachi and Toshiba.
The sources claim LG is anticipating the next version of the iPhone is likely to feature a 5-inch display.
They also claim the next 9.7-inch iPad will feature a thin bezel, like the iPad Mini. An oversized 12.9-inch iPad is in development, with the necessary display production adjustments to be put in place by the end of the year.
While Apple has avoided use of Samsung’s AMOLED technology in its displays, the California-based tech giant has reportedly been working on its own, flexible-screen OLED display technology for its forthcoming iWatches.
Andrew Sadauskas is a former journalist at SmartCompany and a former editor of TechCompany.
