The iPhone 5 might be facing a problem in the supply chain.
According to sources cited by the Wall Street Journal, Sharp has not yet started mass producing the screens that will be used for the new device.
Of course, even the fact that Sharp is involved in the phone’s production is something that Apple has not yet confirmed, but Sharp’s president let it slip that his company was in fact working on it.
Not much is known about the iPhone 5, but it is not expected to incorporate new carriers into its plans. The rumors that have come about are related to hardware specs.
For example, Apple is expected to make its proprietary maps application prominently on display in the new iPhone.
Among the other solid, tangible details about the new iPhone that have leaked through the rumor mill is it will have technology that would allow the company to integrate both the touch sensor and the actual LCD panel in one component.
As the iPhone construction stands now, these two parts of the phone are separate pieces, meaning the touch sensor is an individual component that sits on top of the display itself.
If it could combine those into one piece of technology, it would be able to shave off a significant chunk of the device’s size. Keep in mind we’re already talking about a very thin phone, so a “significant chunk” could just be a couple tenths of a millimeter.
In addition to making a sleeker phone, though, this would also help Apple with production. It could potentially cut back the lead time to make an iPhone from around two weeks to just 3 – 5 days.
It is also believed that the new iPhone will have the largest display of any iPhone.
We’ll know all the details soon, as Apple is believed to be working on an event just a couple weeks from now when it will unveil the device.
