Report: Apple's next iPhone to have thinner screen

Apple's (NASDAQ:AAPL) next iPhone will use a screen technology that creates a thinner touchscreen with a better display, according to a Wall Street Journal report.

The report, citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter, said that Sharp, LG Display and Japan Display Inc. are mass-producing the new model's screens. The screens use in-cell technology, which, the report said, integrates touch sensors into the LCD, removing the need for a separate touchscreen layer and creating a thinner and higher-quality display. A thinner screen may make the overall device slimmer.

Apple is expected to unveil a new iPhone model in the fall. After two phone models--the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S--that looked essentially the same, there are widespread expectations that the next iPhone model will have a new design in addition to other technological features such as LTE connectivity. The Journal reported in May that the next iPhone would also have a larger screen than the 3.5-inch screen on current iPhone models.

In addition to the Journal report, the Financial Times reported that European carriers are building up their supplies of nano-SIM cards in advance of the next iPhone release. The report, which also cited unnamed sources, said the operators expect a slimmed-down iPhone design for the next model.

In early June the European Telecommunications Standards Institute reportedly selected Apple's design for the industry-standard nano-SIM card. The ETSI picked Apple's proposal over a rival one put forward by Nokia (NYSE:NOK), Research In Motion (NASDAQ:RIMM) and Motorola Mobility, which is now owned by Google (NASDAQ:GOOG).

For more:
- see this WSJ article (sub. req.)
- see this FT article

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