In preparing for a major new product release, most companies will outline several suppliers to take care of each element, which ensures that if one supplier isn’t delivering to its quota or there’s a hitch, the overall production machine isn’t ground to a halt. When it comes to preparing new displays for the iOS device range, Apple has several companies in the running, but whilst it has leant heavily on Samsung and Sharp in this key area over the past couple of years, it now appears that both have been dropped for the production of the iPhone 6.
According to Taiwanese blog UDN, Apple was considering either Samsung and Sharp as third suppliers of panels for the 4.7-inch iPhone alongside LG and Japan Display, but has now decided to place its faith in Innolux. Even though the Taiwan-based company is well established, this is a significant coup for Innolux, particularly given the power and experience that both Samsung and Sharp have in this field, but given Apple’s quite open attempt to decrease reliance on Samsung in particular, it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise.
Samsung will still continue to manufacture chips for the iPhone and iPad ranges, but you can see, to a degree, why Apple wouldn’t want to invest so much of its business in a company it battles with so fiercely at the consumer side of the market.
Apparently, both LG and Japan Displays were already earmarked for the role as primary suppliers, although given the anticipated demand, it makes sense for Apple to have a third company in place.
Apple’s iPhone line-up is set for a dramatic shake-up, with two larger handsets in the offing. The fact that Apple will finally compete with rival handsets on the market in terms of display size will, according to some analysts, spark a record number of Android users to jump ship, and with the number of current iPhone users upgrading also set for a sharp spike, the production side of things will need to be running incredibly smoothly.
The 4.7-inch iPhone is expected to pack a 1704 x 960 display, offering 416 ppi, and with a slick, iPod touch-like form factor to boot, the device will be almost unrecognizable from the current flagship.
(Source: UDN [Google Translate])
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