Mass production has started at a number of Japanese display manufacturers for the LCD panels of what’s said to be the iPhone 5S and more contracted manufacturers are scheduled to add their weight next month.
Japan’s Nikkan Kogyo Shumbun reports that Japan Display, a company comprising the display production arms of Sony, Hitachi and Toshiba, has begun mass production of panels destined for the iPhone 5S, alongside LG Display.
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The publication also added that Sharp’s Kameyama plant is gearing up for mass production for Apple’s next smartphone in June. The plant has a maximum production capacity of 600 million units per month.
Apple isn’t expected to launch a new product until the Autumn following comments from chief executive Tim Cook. It was previously expected an announcement would happen in June for a launch in July.
Increasingly, rumours are pointing towards the next smartphone being the iPhone 5S rather than the also rumoured iPhone 6, which some say will follow in 2014. It’s also not clear whether the iPhone 5S will receive an updated A7 processor chip or if this will first appear in the iPhone 6.
While some rumours suggest Apple may increase the size of the next iPhone, others claim a later model will be enlarged and the iPhone 5S will have the same 4-inch Retina display as the iPhone 5. It’s also said the iPhone 5S could feature a fingerprint scanner and built-in eWallet remote payment features.
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The iPhone 5S is generally expected to be the debut model for iOS 7, the next build of Apple’s operating system software. Apple’s chief designer, Jony Ive, has been placed in charge of revamping the operating system and is thought to be introducing a cleaner design which is more in keeping with the phone’s iconic exterior aesthetic.
