Apple's iPhone 5 is still up in the air, but rumors are already looking ahead into 2012.
Surprise! We thought we would take a break from the recent onslaught of iPhone 5 rumors to bring you murmurings of Apple’s anticipated 2012 smartphone offering. According to Japanese newspaper Nikkan (translated via Google Translate), the so-called iPhone 6 will be sporting a “low-temperature poly-silicon” display courtesy of Sharp.
According to the report, Sharp has already begun working on the displays at a manufacturing plant that previously specialized in making LCD TV screens. The next-generation screens are said to be thinner, lighter and brighter than the displays currently featured in the iPhone 4′s retina display. The screens will also be more battery-friendly, according to the report.
Earlier this year, Apple was rumored to have acquired a set of patents from Sharp relating to next-generation LCD displays. At the time, it was suspected that the displays would be employed in Apple’s next-generation iPhone. Now, it looks like 2011′s iPhone update will be less about hardware and more about Apple’s iOS 5. However, the iPhone 5 may feature an improved camera and a faster A5 processor, according to the latest rumors.
With the iPhone 5 (or the iPhone 4S as some are calling it) yet to be officially confirmed, but widely expected to be launched this fall, the iPhone 6 is still a relatively distant fantasy. But, as it stands now, rumors are indicating that the iPhone 5 may be more akin to the 3GS update we saw in 2009 than a whole new model à la 2010′s iPhone 4. We’ll keep an eye 2012′s iPhone model for the true “next-generation” iPhone.
