Just days after a report surfaced suggesting the next iPhone would include in-cell touch panel technology, we now know what this could mean. KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo concludes that the new technology could result in thickness savings of as much as 0.44mm. In addition, assuming Apple uses Liquidmetal, as is rumored, and not glass for the new iPhone’s backing, an additional reduced thickness of 0.96mm could result.
The analyst cites “more efficient supply chain management” and improved production yield as reasons Apple could adopt in-cell technology. As such, the time required to produce an iPhone could drop from 12 to 16 days to three to five days. For customers, this could mean less time between ordering and receiving their next iPhone.
In total, Kuo believes the next iPhone could be 7.90mm in thickness with Toshiba Mobile Display, Sharp, and LG Display the likely suppliers. The iPhone 4S/4 is 9.3mm. The current generation iPod touch is 7.2mm.
The sixth generation iPhone is likely to arrive sometime in 2012. We’ll keep you updated.
Excited about the possibility of a thinner iPhone? Ready to switch?