Sharp - page 3

Apple TV Is In Testing For 2014 Launch [Rumor]

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Apple-TV-with-remote

Apple’s much-anticipated television set has entered its initial testing phase at Hon Hai Precision Industry, a company source has revealed. It’s expected to feature a display between 46 inches and 55 inches in size, and shipments are likely to be “huge.” Don’t expect to have one in your living room anytime soon, however; it doesn’t look like it’s going to get its grand unveiling during 2013.

Hold Onto Your Hats! Apple’s Next iPad Mini To Get Retina Display [Rumor]

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You new iPad mini's display could look ancient in 12 months.
You new iPad mini's display could look ancient in 12 months.

Yeah, this is one of the least surprising rumors you’ll hear all day. But it’s sure to delight those who are holding out for an iPad mini with a Retina display. According to industry sources in Taiwan, Apple will indeed be “enhancing” the display resolution of its second-generation iPad mini, introducing a 2058×1536 panel with 326 pixels-per-inch.

WSJ: Apple Has Begun Early Testing Of Television Set Designs With Suppliers

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I hope it looks like this.
I hope it looks like this.

Apple has begun testing high-resolution television set designs with manufacturing partners in Asia, according to a new report from The Wall Street Journal that cites unnamed sources within Foxconn. Both Foxconn and display manufacturer Sharp are said to be involved in the process, which is still in its early stages.

Qualcomm Bets $120M On The Display Tech That Will Make Your Next MacBook, iPhone Or iPad Even Thinner

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It seems like we’ve been waiting for Sharp IGZO technology to solve all of our battery life problems forever now. Unfortunately, Sharp hasn’t just been slow to get the exciting display tech out on the market… they’ve also struggled with financial issues relating to their core business that have threatened to put the Japanese company under.

Luckily, it looks like Sharp might be saved, with Qualcomm now apparently investing up to $120 million in Sharp, specifically to get IGZO displays out there to the masses.

Apple May Have Given Sharp $2 Billion ‘Bailout’ To Keep Screen Supplies Flowing

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sharpscreenipad

When Apple’s annual capital expediters report for fiscal 2012 was released, it was discovered that Apple spent $10.3 billion when they had only planned to spend about $8 billion. The discrepancy in the huge change from Apple’s original forecast left some wondering what that $2.3 billion went to.

If one analyst is correct, that $2 billion may have gone to Sharp to help bail them out of their financial problems, and keep display supplies flowing for Apple’s products.

Apple’s Suppliers Are Already Working On The Retina Display For iPad Mini 2 [Rumor]

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iPad-mini-display-apart
Apple won't make us wait too long for a Retina iPad mini 2.

The iPad mini is an incredible tablet, and I haven’t been able to put mine down since it was delivered last Friday. I love how thin and light it is, and that it will run all of my existing iPad apps right out of the box. There’s no ignoring the fact that it doesn’t have a Retina display, however.

The iPad mini’s low-resolution display sticks out like a sore thumb the second it lights up. It’s not awful — it’s still better than the iPad 2’s display, and after a few days you stop worrying about it. But it’s noticeably worse than the Retina iPad’s display.

If this has been stopping you from picking up the iPad mini, then you might want to hold onto your cash until its successor arrives next year. According to sources in Apple’s supply chain, the Cupertino company is already working on its 2048 x 1536 Retina display.

Intriguing Timing Of Sharp Announcement Suggests The iPad Mini Might Have New IGZO Display

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Will the iPad mini become the first iOS device with an IGZO display?
Will the iPad mini become the first iOS device with an IGZO display?

Sharp has been hard at work on a new display technology known as IGZO which looks set to be a perfect solution for mobile devices. Not only does it offer higher touch sensitivity, but it’s so energy efficient it can triple the battery life of devices. We’ve been expecting Apple to use IGZO displays for some time, but reports have suggested that Sharp simply cannot make them quick enough to meet the demand of Apple’s consumers. However, it seems that’s all changed.

Just hours ahead of Apple’s iPad mini event in San Jose, Sharp has announced that it soon expects sales of its IGZO displays to surge.

An iPad Mini With Sharp’s IGZO Display Technology Could Play Video For 24 Hours On A Single Charge

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To vastly simplify matters, every LCD screen is made up of a bunch of pixels connected to each other with a mesh of tiny little wires. These pixels don’t actually emit light themselves, but simply regulate the color of the light being displayed in that pixel. Behind this mesh is a lamp, and before a pixel can light up on your screen, the light from this lamp needs to shine through this mesh of wires. Because this mesh is so densely packed, though, the lamp needs to shine very, very brightly to get through… and the brighter an LED light shines, the more power it soaks up.

This is why the new iPad needs such a massive battery. The Retina display has over 3 million pixels in in a tiny area, which means the mesh behind the display is even thicker and more densely packed. To compensate, Apple needs to use a very bright light to shine through this extremely dense mesh, which results in worse battery performance over all.

What if there was a way to make the mesh of wires behind every pixel a lot less dense? That’s the idea behind Sharp’s IGZO technology, and the reason why we’ve been excited about it finally coming to Apple products since at least the beginning of the year. Now it looks possible that, with the iPad mini, we could finally get our wish, as Sharp is now announcing that their IGZO tech comes in 7-inch varieties… and they are releasing a tablet to prove it.

What The iPhone 5 Tells Us About The iPad 4 [Feature]

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The iPhone 5 is here. What does that mean for the next iPad?
The iPhone 5 is here. What does that mean for the next iPad?

 

The iPhone 5 is a cutting-edge device with a lot of impressive new technology, from Apple’s incredibly fast new A6 chip to impressive new in-cell touch display technology and a brand new Lightning dock connector. It’s a certainty that Apple will use some of this technology in the fourth-generation iPad, which is likely due in March of next year. Here’s what the iPhone 5 tells us about what the iPad 4 will be.

iPhone 5’s New In-Cell Touch Display Is Causing ‘Significant Production Constraints’ [Report]

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iphone5
Manufacturers simply cannot produce the iPhone 5's new display fast enough.

It seemed like Apple was coping well with the iPhone 5 demand, despite it being the company’s fastest-selling iPhone to date. Sure, pre-orders sold out within the first hour of availability, but those who were told they wouldn’t get their new smartphone until October have already begun receiving shipping notifications.

But iPhone 5 production may have hit a stumbling black. The handset’s new 4-inch display, which boasts in-cell touch technology that allows it to be incredible thin, it reportedly causing “significant production constraints” that mean Apple cannot produce the device fast enough.

Revised Third-Gen iPads Could Be On Their Way Next Month, And Might Mean No iPad 4 in 2013

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Over the course of the last few months, we’ve heard a lot of rumors that Apple intends on releasing an updated version of the third-generation iPad later in this year to improve the device in a number of ways: namely, to fit it with better efficiency Sharp IGZO panels and give it a new, smaller 9-pin Dock Connector.

Now a new report from research firm DisplaySearch claims that a new iPad is indeed scheduled to arrive alongside the iPad mini, which will be lighter and cooler. We’re starting to think this makes sense.

Sharp Might Invest $1 Billion Into Their Plant To Boost Apple’s Display Supply

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The success of the iPhone hasn’t been a huge money maker for just Apple. Component manufacturers make a killing off it as well because it means they’re able to sell millions of units for each iPhone launch as Apple gogbles up all available supply.

While Apple’s relationship with Samsung as a components supplier has become strained, other companies are ready to join the fight and invest some serious moolah to help Apple and secure better contracts themselves. Sharp, seeing a big opportunity, says they may invest $1 Billion into their plant to boost capacity for Apple’s iPhone displays.

Apple Begins Production Of 13-Inch Retina MacBook Pro Displays [Report]

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Waiting for its little brother? The wait could soon be over.
This could be getting a little brother before the year's out.

Apple has now caught up with demand of its 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro, with shipping estimates dropping to just 2-4 business days this morning. But if you’re holding out for the 13-inch model, your wait could soon be coming to an end. According to one analyst, 13-inch 2560 x 1600 Retina displays have now entered production ready for an October launch.

Enough Is Enough – Apple And Other Tech Companies Aim To Steer Us All Away From ‘Conflict Minerals’

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Let's hope Apple continues to wipe out conflict-materials in all its products.
Let's hope Apple continues to lead the industry to wipe out conflict-materials from all tech products.

The Enough Project released a report today that ranks the top technology companies on how well each one is doing in wiping out the use of “conflict minerals” like tantalum, tin, and tungsten in their products. Apple, HP, Intel, Motorola are at the top of the list, while Nintendo is at the bottom, along with HTC, Sharp, Nikon, and Canon.

The minerals in question, mined in areas of armed conflict and human rights abuses, are used in many technology products around the globe, and The Enough Project – a non-profit arm of the Center for American Progress – tracks these in its effort to combat crimes against humanity.

New 4-Inch iPhone And iPad Mini Screen Shipments Starting This Month Ahead Of September Apple Event

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Which one would you go for?
Which one would you go for?

It’s been all but confirmed that Apple is holding its fall iPhone event on Wednesday, September 12th. The rumored 8-inch iPad mini is also expected to be announced next month, although it’s been unclear if Apple will ship the device at the same time as the new iPhone.

According to a new report this morning, Sharp will begin shipping larger 4-inch iPhone displays throughout Apple’s supply chain this month as production for the September launch ramps up. Production of the iPad mini’s smaller display is also expected to begin in August leading up to Apple’s event in September.

The iPad Mini Will Have An IGZO Display And Only Cost $249 [Rumor]

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The iPad mini is on its way.
Demand for the Google Nexus 7 could be short lived if an iPad mini arrives later this year.

Until Tim Cook climbs onto the roof of Apple’s Cupertino headquarters and shouts, “we will never build an iPad mini” at the top of his voice, the rumors will continue to circulate. The latest comes from “various analysts” who claim the upcoming iPad mini will feature a 7.85-inch IGZO display from Sharp, and will start at just $249.

Apple Will Release A New, Thinner IGZO iPad Later This Summer [Rumor]

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First thing’s first: this report is as sketchy as it comes, and probably has no validity whatsoever. We still think the theory being presented, though, is interesting enough to discuss.With that out of the way, a Chinese newspaper is claiming that Apple will launch a new iPad later this summer, and far from being the seven-incher everyone has been expecting, it will actually be a 10-inch model that will fix everything that was wrong with the new iPad: mainly, the heft and thickness.

Does The Retina MacBook Pro Use Sharp IGZO Display Tech Originally Meant For The New iPad?

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MacBook

In the run up to the release of the new iPad, there were many rumors that Apple was going to use Sharp IGZO display technology to make a much more bright and vibrant Retina iPad with much better battery efficiency.

That didn’t pan out: Sharp delayed the debut of IGZO, and Apple instead was forced to release a Retina iPad that was thicker than the iPad 2 in order to accomodate a bigger battery necessary to drive the display.

But according to one expert, IGZO may have crept into the new Retina MacBook Pros…

Apple Had Plans For An iPad With An IGZO Display, But Had To Choose ‘Plan B’

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Infinity Blade has been more successful than Gears of War.
Apparently, this "resolutionary" device was Apple's "Plan B."

Apple’s new iPad seems to have been a huge success since making its debut last month. Although it doesn’t feature a new form factor and actually measures in a little thicker than its predecessor, that high-resolution Retina display, the 5-megapixel iSight camera, and voice dictation have all made this iPad a crowd pleaser, helping Apple shift 3 million units in its first three days of availability.

However, Raymond Soneira, CEO of DisplayMate Technologies, claims that this isn’t the iPad Apple wanted to release. Soneira says that Tim Cook and co. wanted to make the tablet thinner and introduce a new display with IGZO technology from Sharp. Instead, the company had to resort to “Plan B.”

iPhone 5 Will Be Lighter And Thinner Thanks To This New Touchscreen Tech

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iphone-5

Your iPhone’s touchscreen might look just like a single pane of living glass, but there’s a lot more going on than meets the eye. Every iPhone is comprised of multiple layers: an LCD that actually blasts the pixels out of the Retina Display, a glass substrate laye separating the LCD from the touch layer that translates your finger swipes and prods into input the system can read, and a layer of protective Gorilla Glass on top.

Obviously, Apple’s existing touchscreen tech works well, but having so many different layers has its drawbacks. A big one is that it adds to the iPhone’s thickness. But Apple may already be on the cusp of inking a deal with Sharp and Toshiba to adopt in-cell touch panel displays, which should lead to a slimmer, lighter iPhone 5.

Sharp Begins Production Of Hi-DPI LCD Displays, For Possible 32-inch iMac?

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iMac

 

Over the last couple of months Sharp has been rumored to be Apple’s partner for producing the LCDs of the mysterious “iTV” the world is waiting for. While analysts, such as Peter Misek, have been linking Sharp to Apple for a while now, definitive proof of their connection has yet to surface. However, adding to the rumors, Sharp announced today that they have begun production on 32-inch Hi-DPI LCD’s displays this March that could be used in Apple’s new iMac line that is expected to be unveiled in June.

Improvements To Foxconn Working Conditions = Fewer iPads For Apple

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With worker overtime now reduced, Foxconn simply can't assemble as many iPads as it used to.
With worker overtime now reduced, Foxconn simply can't assemble as many iPads as it used to.

Apple’s new iPad is still selling like hot cakes, and new customers continue to face a 1-2-week shipping delay when purchasing through the Apple online store. But the company is reportedly struggling to meet demand with production constrained by Retina display supply and the recent cuts to factory worker overtime at Foxconn.

Foxconn’s 46.5% Stake In Sharp’s Japanese LCD Plant Could Mean Better Battery Life For Future iOS Devices

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Sharp's mammoth LCD plant in Sakai, Japan.
Sharp's mammoth LCD plant in Sakai, Japan.

Foxconn, the company that assembles almost all of Apple’s devices —- plus plenty more for the likes of Amazon, Dell, Microsoft, and Sony —- has confirmed today that it has secured a 46.5% stake in Sharp’s giant LCD plant in Sakai, Japan. The deal is expected to help Sharp improve its performance, and could make low-energy IGZO displays a possibility for future iPads

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The iPad Mini Is Coming This Summer, Says Samsung

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Is that the iPad mini? Nope, but Samsung says it's coming.
Is that the iPad mini? Nope, but Samsung says it's coming.

The iPad 3 will be officially unveiled just days from now, but the rumor mill is always forward-looking, which means it’s already on its way to being yesterday’s news. What can we expect after the iPad 3? That’s what everyone wants to know now.

If a report from Apple’s best frenemy Samsung is anything to go by, it’ll be the long-rumored iPad mini.