• iPhone 5 to Adopt Curved Glass?

    // Gradly // Apple, blog, Gadgets, iPhone, News, Rants & Raves, Rumors 2 Responses

    iPhone 5 may employ a curved cover glass, according to a Digitimes report.

    The latest buzz being circulated around the supply chain in Taiwan is that Apple is going to adopt a curved cover glass for its next generation model, according to industry sources.

    Apparently, iPhone 5 or iPhone 4S would not be similar to the iPhone 4, If we are to believe what Digitimes says:

    However, in order to push forward the production of curved glass, Apple reportedly has purchased 200-300 glass cutting machines to be used by glass makers, said the sources.

    The glass slicing machines are currently being stored at associated assembly plants and will be brought online once yield rates for the production of curved glass reaches a satisfactory level, the sources revealed.

    Samsung Nexus S was the first smartphone with curved glass and Apple’s iPhone 5 might be the next.

  • iPhone 4S, with 8MP Camera, Production to Begin in August?

    // Gradly // Apple, blog, Gadgets, iPhone, News, Rumors No Responses

    Due to the launch of iPhone 4S planned as early as September 2011, Digitimes reports that Apple has lowered its expected shipment volume of iPhone 4 ahead of the September launch for the fifth-generation iPhone – “iPhone 4S.”

    for the second quarter of 2011 from 20 million units, to 17.5-18 million units consisting of 16 million units of the 3G version and 1.5-2 million units of the CDMA version, according to Taiwan-based supply chain makers. Bases on global sales of 18.6 million units of iPhone 4 and shipment volumes in the first quarter of 2011, there are an estimated 1.5-2 million units in stock, the sources indicated.

    Production of iPhone 4S will begin in August and the earliest launch may be in September. All the 3G and CDMA chips for iPhone 4S will be supplied by Qualcomm and the rear camera will be upgraded to an 8-megapixel resolution model with OmniVision Technologies and Taiwan-based Largan Precision to supply image sensors and lens kits respectively.

  • Toshiba is Working on 4-inch 367dpi Retina Display For Apple?

    // Gradly // Apple, blog, Featured, iPhone, News, Rants & Raves, Rumors, Tech. No Responses

    Toshiba is going to exhibit next-generation displays and technologies at the 2011 Society for Information Display International Symposium, May 17 to 19, 2011. The interesting news is that Toshiba is going to show off a 4″ High density displays for mobile devices. here what they had to say:

    Displays for Mobile Phones and Portable Electronics: The mobile section of the booth will feature high-resolution LTPS displays, up to 367ppi (pixels per inch) resolution density, in sizes ranging from 3.3-inch to 4.0-inch with resolution formats ranging from Wide VGA (480 x 864) to HD (720 x 1280). In addition, these displays will demonstrate advanced technologies such as high-contrast (up to 1,500:1), high-color (up to 92% NTSC), and wide viewing angle (up to H/V 176º/176º). The displays are just a few representative examples of TMD’s broad line of thin and light displays for mobile smartphones and other portable electronic devices.

    A lot of previous rumors speculated a new iPhone with edge-to-edge 4-inch display panels. Back in December a news came from Reuters reporting that Apple & Toshiba said to be working with on future displays which apparently ditching Samsung away:

    Toshiba Corp will spend about 100 billion yen ($1.19 billion) to build a factory for making small LCD panels, mainly to supply to Apple Inc’s iPhones, the Nikkei business daily said.The company’s wholly owned unit, Toshiba Mobile Display Co, will construct the facility in Ishikawa prefecture and the plant will churn out low-temperature polysilicon LCD panels, which allow for high-resolution images, the paper said.Work on the plant will start by early next year, with the production due to begin in the second half of 2011, Nikkei said.Toshiba Mobile Display already makes low-temperature polysilicon LCD panels at a facility in the prefecture and its monthly production capacity of 8.55 million units is projected to more than double with the new factory, the daily said.  Apple will invest in a portion of the investment for the factory, the Nikkei said.

    Are we waiting for a 4-inch iPhone this fall?

  • Purported iPhone 5 Parts Suggest Separated Camera and Flash?

    // Gradly // Apple, blog, Gadgets, iPhone, Rants & Raves, Rumors 1 Response

    Components purported to be for the fifth-generation iPhone have sparked new rumors that the device’s camera and LED flash will be separated, and will no longer sit snuggled up to one another in the corner. Strengthening these rumors is a case discovered on trade site Alibaba for an ‘iPhone 5G’, which features a mysterious new hole in its rear.

    As noted by cultofmac, these images were first published by Taiwanese site Apple.pro – a site which often gets its hands on Apple component and hardware leaks – and show redesigned components for both the front- and rear-facing cameras. While it’s difficult to establish any technical details at this point, the most obvious difference is that the new rear camera for the iPhone 5 has no LED flash attached.

    It’s unlikely Apple will do away with the LED flash completely, so these components lead us to believe that the camera and flash will be separated on the fifth-generation iPhone – possibly to prevent light leakage from the flash into the camera. Backing up this speculation is a case discovered on Alibaba from Kulcase.

    Claiming to be an ‘iPhone 5G’ case, this snap-on rear casing features two holes at the top, in addition to an iPhone 5 mockup image that reveals a larger, ‘edge-to-edge’ display and a thinner bezel. While the two holes initially led to speculation that the device would feature two cameras for taking 3D images, it now seems that one is for the camera and the other for the LED flash.

    This isn’t the first time case manufacturers have revealed product designs well in advance of their launch. You may remember that cases discovered last year revealed the iPad 2′s new size and design, as well as its rear camera and redesigned speaker. Some manufacturers clearly manage to get their mitts on design specifications for upcoming Apple products way before they’re supposed to.

    If these two separated holes on both corners happen to be a camera and flash LED then Heart Rate App (and the like) will not be working on the new iPhone. If the two holes are actually two cameras then this allows for 3D photo shooting, which is a potential possibility?!