Without naming a specific source, iMore's Rene Ritchie has reportedly heard that Apple is not planning to refresh the aging 27-inch Thunderbolt Display at WWDC this month after all. “I asked around, and it's not happening at the keynote or any time in the immediate future,” he wrote.
Stock of Apple's 27-inch Thunderbolt Display has been dwindling ahead of the WWDC keynote, leading us to suspect that the product is about to be upgraded soon. The display, which was first introduced more than four years ago, should see its resolution bumped to match the 27-inch iMac with 5K Retina display. The hardware refresh might integrate an external graphics card, reports 9to5Mac.
IHS Technologies analyst Kevin Wang writes on Chinese social network Weibo that the iPhone 8, which we believe will release in the fall of 2017, will come outfitted with a dual-curved display similar to that found on Samsung's flagship Galaxy S7 edge, for a virtually bezel-less appearance. He also said just yesterday the next iPhone would replace the entry-level 16GB tier with a more capacious 32GB SKU.
Apple's Thunderbolt Display launched nearly five years ago and it may finally receive its long-overdue upgrade soon. Web checks reveal that Thunderbolt Display stock is dwindling across Apple Stores around the world, including in North America, Europe, Australia and elsewhere. Furthermore, tipsters say that stock is not being replenished, suggesting new models might be introduced at WWDC.
Virtual reality is a new tech buzzword and key players are taking notice, with Samsung Display showing off a cutting-edge smartphone display technology at the Display Week conference in San Francisco last week. The tech promises to let people enjoy 3D content without needing any special glasses.
Taiwanese trade publication DigiTimes is reporting that TPK Holding is gearing up to product nanowire-based flexible touchscreens. TPK is on Apple's supplier list so there's a high likelihood that future iPhone, iPod touch and iPad devices could switch to these flexible screens based on nano silver ink. Originally developed by 3M, silver nanowire films are flexible and transparent to the eye, making them feasible for wearable devices particular.
Apple pundit John Gruber who runs the Daring Fireball blog has reportedly learned that the next year's iPhone—which some people think will be marketed as 'iPhone 8' rather than 'iPhone 7s'—may sport an edge-to-edge display that could allow an entirely new form-factor device to have a slightly smaller appearance without sacrificing screen size.
But that's not all: although Gruber did not say this with complete certainty, he's heard “scuttlebutt“ suggesting Apple's somehow managed to integrate Touch ID fingerprint verification, a front-facing camera and other components into the screen itself.
If true, 2017 iPhones should be the most radical departure from the device's design so we may finally live to see the iPhone get rid of its chin and the forehead.
In a surprise move today, satellite television provider Dish Network unveiled a brand new smartphone repair service for customers in the United States who can ask for a technician to visit them and fix their iPhone's screen or battery. The service is called 'Smart Phone Repair On Your Turf'.
Dish has deployed its nationwide fleet of technicians who can reach homes or businesses in any of the 50 U.S. states to repair iPhones for consumers whether or not they are Dish customers.
So, what kind of prices does Dish charge for screen and battery repairs?
Apple's 'iPhone 7' hasn't arrived yet but that hasn't stopped analysts from predicting that an 'iPhone 8' will ditch the iconic Home button. Conventional wisdom has it that 3D Touch will simulate Home button presses while fingerprint recognition should be realized by incorporating the Touch ID sensor into the display itself.
What conventional wisdom doesn't help explain is how such a technology might work. Well, now we know: LG announced its Innotek division has achieved a major technological breakthrough in producing the world's first in-screen fingerprint scanner.
“LG Innotek cut a shallow furrow of 0.01 inches (0.3 mm) thick on the lower backside of the cover glass and installed the fingerprint sensor inside of it with using their supreme precision and combination technology,” explains the company.
Apple has reportedly brokered a deal with its South Korean frenemy Samsung, worth an estimated $2.59 billion, to supply OLED panels for future iPhones, scheduled to ship in 2017. Citing sources familiar with Samsung's plans, The Korea Herald reported Friday that Samsung's mobile display making arm, Samsung Display, will manufacture about hundred million OLED panels annually, measuring 5.5 inches diagonally, starting next year.
An in-depth analysis of Apple's latest display technology conducted by DisplayMate has shown that the new 9.7-inch iPad Pro is outfitted with “a truly impressive” Retina display, which DisplayMate described as a “major upgrade” over that used in the iPad Air 2.
The 9.7-inch iPad Pro, DisplayMate has found, delivers “color accuracy that is visually indistinguishable from perfect”.
Hot on the heels of a reported $3.5 billion acquisition of Sharp by Apple's contract fabricator Foxconn, Sharp has reportedly begun setting up production lines dedicated to churning out AMOLED smartphone panels as Apple is said to be lining up suppliers to support its major move to outfit future iPhones with AMOLED screen technology.
According to a report Wednesday by DigiTimes, a Taiwanese trade publication, Sharp is setting up three production lines that should have total monthly capacity of 9.85 million 5.5-inch equivalent AMOLED panels.