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wowman (82)The iPhone 5′s 4-inch IGZO Screen: What You Need To Know
Posted by Michael Nace on Friday Dec 2, 2011 Under iPhone 5 RumorDetails about the technology surrounding the iPhone 5‘s purported 4-inch screen are now coming to the surface. Read about what an IGZO screen on the iPhone 5 could mean for users.
In a recent survey of iPhone 4S users that we reported on yesterday, it was revealed that current 4S users aren’t nearly as broken up about a sub-4-inch screen as would have been assumed. That being said, a sprawling 4″+ screen for the iPhone 5 still remains atop most smartphone users’ wish lists, and all rumors and reports seem to be corroborating the notion that the iPhone 5 will indeed sport a larger screen.
A recent report has taken this rumor a step farther, stating that the iPhone 5′s 4-inch screen will be cutting-edge. According to ComputerWorld and other tech media outlets, Apple “is rumored to be funding Hitachi and Sony in making 4-inch IGZO (indium, gallium, zinc) displays” for the iPhone 5, and, quoting Neil Hughes at AppleInsider, who reminds us that this “report arrives on the heels of claims from the Wall Street Journal, which said earlier this week that Sharp will also produce panels for the iPad 3 at its Kameyama No. 2 plant in central Japan; Apple typically sources its components from multiple partners,” it now seems apparent that Apple is going to do something dramatic with the iPhone 5′s screen.
Jeffries analyst Peter Misek mentioned IGZO in his report a little while back, stating ”The IGZO technology is perfect in that it offers near-OLED power consumption while having a lower cost and thinness that is only 25% greater than OLED, based on our checks,” but to be frank, his description of IGZO is rather boring; just what you’d except from a financial analyst. While low power consumption and cost are indeed two welcome features, there is more to IGZO than its bottom line for production costs.
It’s also extremely new. Just to give you an idea, none of the Wikipedia gnomes have even done up a page for it yet.
When you dig around for IGZO information, however, you do come across some impressive documentation. This, for example, comes from another IGZO manufacturer called JUSUNG: “IGZO – Indium, Gallium, Zinc, Oxygen, replaces the traditional amorphous silicon based active layer. IGZO has an electron mobility 40 times greater than traditional materials such that a display’s reaction speed can be more swiftly controlled. In doing so, panel makers will be able to offer screen resolutions higher than the current Full High Definition.”
Going back to Miesk for a minute, he summarized IGZO by stating that it will give the iPhone 5 a resolution of “330 dpi, which is sufficient for an HD display while not using IPS nor having to include dual-bar LED backlighting. In our view, this should lead to several design advantages, namely the device can be thinner, battery life should be longer, and the overall experience for users should be meaningfully improved.”
So, in this way, it looks like we’re going to get a thinner, faster, HD screen without dual-bar LED backlighting and with lower power consumption. While “the overall experience for users should be meaningfully improved” is a rather nondescript prospect for iPhone 5 users, one can imagine how IGZO technology could 1) fix the battery issues 2) integrate with faster service, such as 4G LTE and the A6 processor 3) offer a truly HD screen 4) give rise to the prospect of a flexible iPhone and/or a hybrid screen that can double as an “e-ink” reader, like on the Kindle.
Teardrop iPhone 5 Design Looking Increasing Stupid
In other news, iLounge is reporting that sources close to Apple have confirmed that the iPhone 5 will not sport the fabled “teardrop” design that case companies like Case-Mate, Hard Candy, and a myriad of el cheap-o iPhone 5 case manufacturers anticipated for 2011.
The iPhone 5 News Blog questioned the point and purpose of the awkward teardrop design back on October 19th, 2011, before the iPhone 4S announcement. It seemed to us then (and now) that, while aesthetically pleasing, a curved- or teardrop-shaped iPhone 5 would be fraught with ergonomic problems, and interesting aesthetics would give way to frustrations about its design.
Most likely, the teardrop design came as a result of Photoshoppers and designers trying to imagine a new iPhone form factor that would depart from the iPhone 4′s design, but not appear to be Android-like. Nice try, but impractical.
February/March iPhone 5 Release: Still Bupkis
I’m so happy that I’ve had the opportunity to use my three favorite words on the Blog — “prognosticate,” “el cheap-o,” and “bupkis,” all in one article before the end of the year. I wrote in another article about the ridiculousness of the March 2012 iPhone 5 release date rumor, citing obvious reasons that don’t make be a genius by any stretch. Not to be outdone, however, tech bloggers are pushing the stupidity envelope (you can buy them in packs of 50 or 100 at Staples) by suggesting February as an iPhone 5 release date.
Steven Williamson, blogger at Hexus: “Both the iPhone 5 and iPad 3 are likely to make an early appearance at the Mobile World Congress in February.” Williamson’s prognostication lives up to his blog’s name: audacious claims like that are sure to hex us — let’s now expect a 2013 iPhone 5 release. (Just kidding.)
A February or March 2012 release of the iPhone 5 would be an epic fail for Apple and all of its U.S. carriers — Sprint, in particular. I still subscribe to the notion that the June WWDC is still a reasonable announcement date for the iPhone 5. Rumors of production over the next few months should put it into better focus for us all.
By Michael Nace
December 2nd, 2011 at 3:13 pm
just as my iPhone fever was going into normal tempurature it has once again been lit by this wonderful new and not some speculation or fairy tale story of some other nonsense. This article brings something more solid into the rumor stew. These new display investments into sharp at kameyama japan. A very Apple move if you ask me. Not only that but with this ground-breaking tecnology cuppled with Wow factor apple needs to retain/attract more custumers, it would certainly be another part of this delicious stew Apple is soon to serve. Bon Apetite!
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December 2nd, 2011 at 4:25 pm
If the screen stay Retina well alrighty then!
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December 2nd, 2011 at 5:09 pm
June can’t come soon enough. I really hope apple launches on time this year because I don’t want to wait until October 2012.
The IGZO tech sounds really cool. I wonder if apple will use that same tech for their new HDTV.
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December 2nd, 2011 at 8:58 pm
Yea it’s definitely going to be June (at the earliest). Apple should increase the screen size on the same dimensions used for the iPhone 4/4S … like many have stated before, there is a lot of room to increase screen size … looks like half an inch above the top of the screen on my iPhone 4. We’ll see what happens.
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December 2nd, 2011 at 11:46 pm
Yeah, I don’t see the iPhone coming out any sooner than June. March makes no sense at all, because that is iPad territory. That screen sounds pretty awesome! My sister and my niece will be thrilled, because they are both ready for upgrades in May and June respectively.
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December 3rd, 2011 at 12:26 am
Michael, have you heard anything about the IOS 5.0.2 update? I love my 4S, but there are some issues. The one everyones talking about is of course the battery. I played infinity blade II for 2 hours and 100% brightness and 100% charge, and only got like 1 hour and 30 minutes of gameplay before I hit 10%. Then they have the settings app issue which causes it to close when it is launched from a previous open. And it turns out that for some reason there is a glitch where to charge your phone sometimes, you have to turn your phone off the on! Happened to me tonight (after INfinity Blade II)
. Any news?
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December 3rd, 2011 at 12:11 pm
I still don’t see why a teardrop shape phone is unergonomic? The phone is going to spend most of it’s time in hands, pockets, and bags. In the hands a teardrop would be ergonomic and in pockets and bags it doesn’t matter. You can also be sure that Apple will release a dock for the phone which really takes the limited time it’s on a desk out of the equation too.
I just hope it doesn’t look like the boring brick 4 series.
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December 3rd, 2011 at 6:07 pm
I agree Darren, the iPhone 4 design is a little boxy. It would be nice to see apple go with something that is thin, light and more organic from a design standpoint. I also can’t wait to see what apple will do with iOS 6. I would really like to have an extra home screen that has live apps or widgets.
As far as the release date, Apple should release it in June or July. I have met many people like myself who waited for the iPhone 5, saw the 4S, wanted to get the 4S, then saw the problems with the 4S (and noticed that it wasn’t much different than the iPhone 4), then decided to continue waiting for the iPhone 5.
It’s been an adventure, but in the end I think the iPhone 5 will be what we’ve been waiting for.
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December 3rd, 2011 at 7:45 pm
@Darren and JustinQ, I think what Michael meant by the tear-drop design’s “ergonomics” is not about what it looks on the outside, but instead, what it looks on the inside. Sure, a tear-drop design would look great and fit snuggly in the pocket. But the design itself is going to limit the size of the battery in the phone. In short, a phone’s design is going to impact the “guts” of a phone. my 2 cents
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December 3rd, 2011 at 8:46 pm
@Gallardo you hit the spot woth that comment. A teardrop shape would make the phone uneven inside wich would practically make it possible to use only 60-70% of space for components. If you look at some of those new androids you notice that they make them super thin but there’s an end that has a “butt” of some sort housing the battery or camera. I think Apple can manage an iPad 2 looking phone and take advantage of the space to make something magical! I hope we see NFC, HD display (preferably 1080p if they double the resolution I think they can reach it), 10mp camera, dual LED or Xenon flash and 4G LTE.
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December 3rd, 2011 at 8:49 pm
I just checked. If they double resolution it would be a whopping 1920×1280 screen!
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December 3rd, 2011 at 8:53 pm
Just to clarify: for as much as I agree, Christian and Gallardo, that the teardrop shape could be problematic for the hardware components inside, I also still believe the two teardrop designs that we’ve seen from prognosticators to be completely anti-ergonomic and pointless. In one case, the back is rounded, and in the other, it slants. What would the point be, exactly? Where else do we see teardrop-shaped devices like these? Where are the other smartphones? Where are the remote controls?
To me, ergonomics would dictate a flat back, so that the device sits flush on a flat surface, but with sides that slop into the middle, like an hourglass shape. But the problem with that is that it would detract from the screen size and shape, which is why we haven’t seen it.
I’ve never bought into the teardrop shape design, and from what I’ve read and heard, I don’t think Apple has, either. We shouldn’t sell ourselves on thinking that if the iPhone doesn’t have the teardrop shape, then it is destined to look like the iPHone 4 or some Android phone. I trust Apple to come up with a revolutionary design, teardrop or not.
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December 4th, 2011 at 12:00 am
I agree with a WWDC iPhone 5 appearance, and maybe an iPad 3 release in February.
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December 6th, 2011 at 2:40 pm
OK, so everything about the IGZO says it’s cheaper and better in all facets. What reason is there that no one else is using this technology if it’s available and cheap? Something just doesn’t add it up…
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December 8th, 2011 at 10:54 am
I thought Michael’s favourite word was “purported”
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December 8th, 2011 at 11:00 am
Oooh, I like that one too, Oscar! “Purported,” “prognosticated,” “bupkis,” and “el cheap-o.” If nothing else, I have injected these 4 words into the iPhone 5 NEws Blog’s lexicon.
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