According to a new report published today, Apple is looking to release handheld gadgets with rounded screens next year.
The report comes from the usual lot of imaginative people on DigiTimes – a news outlet devoted to covering the supply side of the semiconductor as well as electronics industry. They mention market sources who insurance claim that Apple has bought devices for production of gadgets having rounded glass displays.
Curved glass screens aren’t extremely mainstream at the moment; there is only one smartphone that we understand of which includes a rounded screen (marketed as Contour Display) i.e. that Google Nexus S. Apparently, smartphone manufacturers are looking towards rounded touchscreens to gain an edge over Apple but, reportedly, Apple is thinking about them too.
From DigiTimes:
Suppliers of the non-Apple camp are working on products with rounded cover glass in attempts to gain a competitive edge in the handheld gadget market dominated by Apple, sources in the glass market said.
But Apple apparently likewise has bought glass polishing devices for its suppliers in preparation for the production of gadgets fitted with rounded cover glass.
If it turns out to be true, glass supply business such as Lens Technology, Fuji Crystal as well as G-Tech will be the ones producing the screens for Apple’s iPhone, iPod touch as well as iPad products.
There are a couple of fascinating advantages that rounded touchscreens have over the more traditional flat ones. Firstly, it becomes easier to type as your fingers discover rounded surfaces to be more comfortable. Secondly, when making calls, rounded screens in shape more snugly with your face.
This is not the very first time that we are hearing about Apple being thinking about rounded touchscreens, a report back in may suggested that Apple may be looking into implementing a rounded glass screen in the iphone 5, however all the present reports seemed to have debunked this rumor. The two advantages we mentioned above are, well, advantages however they aren’t very, significant. When was the last time you felt that your phone doesn’t feel right against your face? Never.
I do, however, believe that offering a much better typing experience would be a nice plus.
The market sources insurance claim that these gadgets will be released sometime in 2012. With all the reports suggesting that the iphone 5 will be introduced next month, we don’t believe that the next iphone will include the rounded displays. For the iphone 6? Sure, may be. just not for the iphone 5.
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