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Analyst suggests Apple to release two iPhone models this September
In a recent research note, Deutsche Bank analyst Chris Whitmore predicts Apple may unveil two iPhone models, an iPhone 4S and an iPhone 5, this fall. Whitmore argues that RIM and Nokia, two bastions of the mid-range mobile phone market, are struggling, and Apple could grab a huge chunk of their market share with an inexpensive iPhone. Whitmore believes Apple is producing an iPhone 4S that is unlocked and priced around $349. This lower-priced model, which has been rumored before, will include a pre-paid voice plan that will entice customers to jump on the Apple bandwagon. Along with this low-priced model, Whitmore also believes Apple will also introduce an iPhone 5, which is the next generation iPhone everyone is expecting.
iPhone 5 production to begin in August
Morgan Stanley analyst Katy Huberty claims Apple will begin production of the iPhone 5 in the second half of August and ramp up progressively through the rest of the year. Using information obtained from Taiwanese sources, Huberty also writes in a recent research note that the iPhone 5 will go on sale in September, a date that coincides with earlier leaks. The iPhone 5 will be a big seller for Apple and the Morgan Stanley analyst keeps her yearly sales estimate of 72 million units. Third quarter sales may drop due to the September arrival of the iPhone 5, but an increase in sales during the fourth quarter will make up for any third quarter lag. Huberty also believes that Apple is working on a lower-priced iPhone and an Apple-branded TV. Both of these rumors have floated around for a while and have yet to come to fruition.
China Mobile hints at iPhones in September
Reuters is relaying a report from the Shanghai Daily newspaper that China Mobile will begin offering a 4G version of the iPhone come September. The paper quotes a microblog post by Liu Yang, China Mobile's marketing official, in which Yang wrote: A new iPhone with China Mobile's network will debut and the cooperation will be announced in September. It's not clear why the Shanghai Daily believes the iPhone will support 4G, though they could just be reporting on last month's rumors that Apple and China Mobile had reached a consensus on a 4G iPhone. Also lending credence to the report is the fact that Tim Cook was spotted at China Mobile's headquarters just two days ago. China Mobile is the largest mobile phone operator in the world, with over 600 million subscribers, so bringing any iPhone, whether its of the 3G or 4G variety, to the carrier is seen as an important step for Apple's growth in the Asian market
Samsung denied preview of iPad 3, iPhone 5 in ongoing Apple infringement suit
A US district judge this week handed Apple a victory in its ongoing legal battle with Samsung, denying the latter its reciprocal discovery request for a peek at prototypes of the upcoming versions of the iPhone and iPad. The request followed a similar one filed by Apple, in order to view Samsung products, including the Galaxy S II, Galaxy Tab 8.9, Galaxy Tab 10.1, Infuse 4G, and Droid Charge. Samsung, for its part, argued that taking an early look at the Apple's upcoming phone and tablet would be relevant to the legal ruling, seeing as how any changes made in those upcoming products would affect the trade dress ("total product image") of the line, and thereby potentially alter the possibility of consumer confusion, an important factor in determining infringement with certain unregistered trademarks with the product.The court denied Samsung's motion on a number of grounds. For one thing, Apple's initial complaint pertained to infringement of existing products, parameters deemed legit by the court. Also, the court took into account the fact that Apple tends to be far more tight-lipped about its product releases, whereas Samsung made a point of offering up information about forthcoming products into the public domain, including the release of 5,000 Galaxy Tab 10.1 units as samples to the public. That said, the judge was careful to note that Apple's suggestion that court protection of its trade secrets was insufficient "is not well taken." More details after the break.
Point/Counterpoint: On the iPhone 5 replacing the iPod touch
A reader wrote in to us surmising that the iPod touch is on its way out, to be replaced by a lower-cost iPhone 5. It sounded ridiculous at first, but the evidence he gave sounds pretty compelling when it's all put together. According to iSuppli, "The components that make up the 16 GB iPhone 4 cost just under $188." That of course should be taken with a grain of salt. Production of the iPhone 5 allegedly begins in July, with a launch in September -- traditionally the time Apple unveils new iPod hardware. iOS 5 will debut in the fall, and major iOS releases tend to come alongside new iPhone hardware. Thus far, there is no mention of new iPod touch hardware in the iOS 5 betas. The next-gen iPhone has reached final testing stage, destined for a September launch. With the exception of an A5 processor and possibly a universal GSM/CDMA design for its 3G hardware, it is expected to be substantially similar to the iPhone 4. Unlocked iPhones are finally available in the US. Recently unearthed evidence in the iOS 5 beta suggests the iPhone 5 will use the same 5 megapixel camera as the current iPhone 4 rather than the 8 megapixel camera suggested by rumors earlier this year, suggesting Apple is focused on cutting production costs. This year, Apple's Back-to-School promotion will offer a $100 iTunes gift card instead of a free iPod touch as in previous years. Taken together, this does seem to paint a pretty stark picture for the iPod touch's future. It also sparked off an intercontinental debate between fellow TUAW writer Richard Gaywood and myself on whether Apple is likely to lower costs on the iPhone 5 enough to make it a viable replacement for the current iPod touch lineup. CR: I'll say this: if the unlocked 32 GB iPhone dropped to US$299 and a 64 GB model was available at $399, the iPod touch would pretty much have no further reason to exist. Odds of that happening? Who knows. RG: That's a huge "if" there. The iPod touch has to be cheaper to make than the iPhone, so Apple would have to slash its own margins to cut the price of the latter to meet the former. $299 is less than half the price the 16 GB iPhone 4 is selling for today. Why would Apple do that? I don't see much upside. The iPod touch is also lighter and much thinner. Or, if it was as thick as the iPhone 4, it could offer much better battery life. CR: Aside from the rear-facing camera, the GPS/3G antenna/chipset, and the case design, where's the extra cost for the iPhone 4 versus the iPod touch? They have the same SOC, the same display, the same front-facing camera. Apple's estimated cost to manufacture the 16 GB iPhone 4 is less than US$200. If the iPhone 5 is going to be essentially an iPhone 4S, the production cost isn't likely to be terribly higher than the iPhone 4's is now. The upside to discontinuing the iPod touch line and replacing it with a lower-cost, contract-free iPhone is twofold. First, that's one less piece of hardware Apple has to manufacture. The iPod line would be returned to music-only devices (the shuffle and nano), with only two multi-use, touch-based devices to manufacture: the iPhone and iPad. The upshot from a sales POV is that all the users who might have bought the iPod touch will buy the contract-free iPhone instead, which would go a loooong way to making up for the reduced per-device margins. RG: According to Anandtech, "The pricing guarantees Apple is going to continue to have incredible quarters going forward. Apple found sneaky ways to reduce the total BOM (bill of materials) cost on the new iPod touch. A cheaper chassis compared to the iPhone 4, no GPS, less DRAM on package (256 MB vs. 512 MB), a cheaper screen and a worse imaging sensor." That's in addition to the UMTS chip itself, the antenna for it, and (easy to overlook on a BoM listing), the considerable hardware engineering effort and testing that goes into making the cell phone part of the device work properly. They also use cheaper lower-density flash (the iPod touch has two chips, not one, so a 32 GB model of either handset is a single 32 GB chip in the iPhone and 2x16 GBs in the iPod touch). Note that the parts Apple skimps on -- the baseband, the display, the DRAM, the flash, the rear-facing autofocus camera -- are some of the most expensive parts in the iPhone 4 to start with. CR: The engineering and testing costs will likely be more than offset if the iPhone 5 has essentially the same exterior design as the iPhone 4, as virtually everyone expects it will. The price of the unlocked iPhone must eventually come down. The unlocked 32 GB iPhone 4 is actually more expensive than a 32 GB iPad 2 Wi-Fi + 3G. I don't see that situation persisting for very long. I also don't see that as a matter of offsetting component/production costs; I see it as a high price intended to mollify the carriers. The price disparity between a 32 GB iPod touch and a 32 GB unlocked iPhone 4 is $450, too, and I find it incredibly unlikely that the iPhone 4 costs THAT much more to produce than the iPod touch. I mean, come on. The improved camera and flash, better quality display, extra RAM, GPS/UMTS, and chassis add up to an extra $450 -- or even $300? Not a chance. Even if the $130 price disparity between the 3G and non-3G iPads truly represents the cost of the 3G hardware (it doesn't), that's still $320 for a slightly higher-quality display, an extra 256 MB of RAM, a 5 megapixel camera, three pieces of precision-cut stainless steel, and a piece of glass. With a BOM of $188 for a 16 GB iPhone 4, Apple's margin for the device amounts to $461. That's high even by Apple's standards. No, that calculation doesn't include R&D or shipping, etc., but if the iPhone 5 is going to be substantially similar to the iPhone 4, most of that is going to be offset anyway. RG: BoM isn't the whole story, though. A common rule of thumb for a R&D-heavy devices like the iPhone is 1/3 materials, 1/3 cost, 1/3 profit. If you just compare how much it costs to assemble with how much Apple sell it for, it looks like a huge margin -- but all those smart guys in Cupertino don't come cheap, nor do their swanky digs. You're not making an Apples-to-apples comparison, because we don't have a comparable BoM cost for the iPod touch. CR: You're right, BoM is only part of the tale. So let's look at profit margins instead. It turns out Apple's profit margin on the entry-level $499 iPad 2 is 25 percent. That's a healthy, respectable profit margin for a consumer electronics product -- but it's far lower than Apple's average profit margin across all products, which is a much higher 38.5 percent. Apple's profit margin for the iPhone? An astonishing 50 to 60 percent. For every 16 GB iPhone 4 sold, then, Apple makes about $324.50 in profit at the lower end of the scale. We can therefore assume that the break-even price for an entry-level iPhone 5 would be around $330; the A5 processor is slightly more expensive than the A4, but the iPhone 5 is expected to have mostly the same components as the iPhone 4. RG: Bottom line for me is this: replacing the iPod touch with an iPhone at the same selling price would inevitably require Apple to sacrifice considerable profit margin, would face carrier hostility (which might be so severe as to make them refuse to issue data plans for it), would be of marginal benefit to many consumers (customers who cared about having cell data for an iPod touch already own iPhones, I'd wager), and would cannibalize sales of the more lucrative iPhone (particularly the pre-pay models, which America might get now it has unlocked iPhones). Never say never and all that, but it doesn't feel very likely to me at this point in time. CR: After running through the numbers a bit more closely, selling the iPhone 5 for $299 looks like a net loss for Apple (which ain't gonna happen), but selling it at $399 would yield a profit of about 17 percent. That's far lower than the margins Apple currently enjoys on the iPhone, but Apple's financial guidance for the past couple quarters has warned investors to expect overall profit margins to decline. There's certainly room enough for the iPhone's margins to thin a bit but still make Apple tons of money. I'm not saying Apple will do any of this, but I will not be at all shocked if it chooses to. The iPod touch has always been a sort of an "also-ran" in the iDevice line, an iPhone-lite for people who don't want to be tied down to a contract. If the iPhone becomes available contract-free everywhere, and at a price comparable to what the iPod touch sells for today, I still believe the iPod touch would have no reason to exist anymore. Conclusion It turned out to be a lively debate, and we'll see who's right in a couple months. In the meantime, there are a couple of other things to keep in mind. First, Apple has removed the "iPod" branding from iOS 5. In iOS 4 and earlier, both the iPhone and iPad handle music playback via an "iPod" app, but in iOS 5 these two devices instead have a "Music" app just like the iPod touch. It may mean nothing, but it's still an interesting move considering the iPod was Apple's top-selling product for so many years. The other thing to keep in mind is a recent quote from Instapaper developer Marco Arment, who sums up my side of this argument perfectly: "When speculating on what Apple will or won't do, a change that gets them more iPhone customers is probably worth considering even if you think they'd 'never' do it. iPhone customer acquisition is a higher priority than almost everything else."
Apple revises and expands its trademark infringement case against Samsung
Today is the day Apple and Samsung will meet with the judge in its patent infringement case to discuss Samsung's request to see the iPhone 5 and the iPad 3. Before this meeting, Apple revised its trademark claim and expanded it to include other Samsung hardware. The revision also adds stronger language to the complaint by substituting words like "misappropriated" with "copied" and providing additional details on how Apple's powerful brand and unique products have been hurt by Samsung's copycat mobile devices. The suit's main document now sits at an impressive 63 pages, up from the original 38. The meeting will take place today at 1:30 pm Pacific Time and we will keep you informed of any decisions that influence this case.
Apple: Samsung is harassing us with its iPhone 5 and iPad 3 request
Apple is not happy with Samsung's latest legal request to view prototype versions of the iPad 3 and the iPhone 5. The Cupertino company recently filed a response in which it called Samsung "the copyist" and claimed the Korean company is trying to harass it with these unreasonable demands. This latest volley is one of many between the two tech companies. Apple filed a trademark infringement lawsuit against Samsung accusing the Korean company of copying its iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. Samsung then countersued Apple with claims of patent infringement. Apple turned up the heat when it asked to review sample units of unreleased but publicly announced products such as the Galaxy Tab 10.1. Samsung responded in kind by requesting the iPad 3 and the iPhone 5. Got all that? Some of these issues will be decided this Friday when Samsung and Apple will meet with the judge presiding over the case to discuss Samsung's controversial iPhone 5 and iPad 3 request. These legal proceedings are taking place in the US District Court for the Northern District of California.
iPhone 5 reportedly in final testing phases, nearing production
9to5 Mac is reporting that the next-generation iPhone is in the final stage phase before production begins. Quoting a "previously accurate Apple source," 9to5 notes that some high-level Apple and carrier executives are testing near-final iPhone prototypes. The source also claims that the new model will be released in September, and the Verizon model will still depend on Wi-Fi for FaceTime sessions (no word on if the AT&T model will handle FaceTime any differently that it currently does). The September rumor his hardly new, as Reuters suggested it back in April. We'll know soon enough. In the meantime, start saving your pennies.
UAE carrier Etisalat said 4G iPhone 5 will ship this year, now unsaid (Updated)
Update: Etisalat must have gotten some cranky calls from Apple's carrier relations team, because the company has officially denied any mention of an upcoming iPhone model. SaudiMac reports that a blog post from the carrier now insists "At no point did Etisalat confirm that any new iPhone device will be launched in 2011." Thanks to @mazmohad and @khaled for the heads-up. Dubai's Gulf News is reporting that United Arab Emirates-based carrier Etisalat is in talks with Apple to sell a 4G iPhone 5 later this year. Ali Al Ahmad, Chief Corporate Communication Officer of Etisalat told the Gulf News, "Yes, we are in talks with most smartphone manufacturers including Apple on the rollout of the 4G handset, iPhone 5 later this year. As the first telecom organization to roll out the 4G network, LTE, in the Middle East, we have already started talking to them for the handsets and chipsets in them." However, despite Ahmad's assertion on an LTE iPhone 5 later this year, readers should approach this news with caution. Right now there are no solid facts about the next iPhone. The next iPhone will be the fifth-generation iPhone, but no one can even agree on its name, let alone the telecommunications technology it will have. Some say the fifth generation iPhone will be called the "iPhone 4S," while others say it will be known as the "iPhone 5." However, regardless of the name, there are rumors that the iPhone won't see 4G LTE until the sixth generation iPhone (which could very well be called the "iPhone 5"). It's entirely possible that carrier executives like Ahmad could be confusing the version and name with associated telecommunications technology. But at the risk of fanning the flames, it's also possible that Apple could roll out a 4G LTE-equipped iPhone in the fall. The company is pushing back the new iPhone hardware launch later this year than in the past and the extra time could provide the wiggle room to wait until there are enough 4G chips ready in a slim enough form factor to fit the next generation iPhone without compromising its design -- something current 4G chips can't do.
Video of iOS 5 on an iPhone 3GS and a 4 side by side
The folks at AppleRumors Italia did a side-by-side video comparison of iOS 5 on both the iPhone 3GS and the iPhone 4. As you can see in the video, the two models perform similarly with only a small amount of lag apparent on the iPhone 3GS during certain tasks, like loading a complex web page. The biggest difference is the lack of some features, like HDR and photo editing, on the older iPhone 3GS. Though this is only one video, the results are encouraging for those still rocking a third-generation iPhone.
OmniVision, Avago reported iPhone 5 parts suppliers
A rumor from Digitimes suggests Apple is tapping OmniVision for CMOS image sensors and Avago Technologies for power amplifiers (PA) to be used in the iPhone 5. OmniVision will be the main supplier for 8-megapixel camera sensors, with Sony picking up any slack. Avago will supply two-thirds of the PAs while long-time supplier TriQuint Semiconductor will supply the rest. This is good news for the suppliers involved as they will likely see a boost in revenue due to the expected staggering demand for the iPhone 5. This is even better news for Apple fans as it suggests production of the iPhone 5 is moving along smoothly. Yes, it may be slower than some prefer, but it's possible Apple may still hit that rumored September target launch date.
Samsung's lawyers want access to the iPhone 5 and iPad 3
Here's a big case of "Good luck with that." Samsung's lawyers are demanding to see the iPhone 5 and iPad 3, according to ThisIsMyNext. Samsung says it needs to see Apple's upcoming devices because its iPhone and iPad competitors, the Droid Charge and Galaxy Tab 10.1, will likely be on sale around the same time. Samsung wants to make sure it can spot any possible similarities so it can be ready for any potential legal action from Apple. Last week a judge granted Apple access to Samsung prototypes of the Galaxy S2, Galaxy Tab 8.9, Galaxy Tab 10.1, Infuse 4G and Droid Charge. This will allow Apple to identify elements that could confuse customers into thinking the Samsung devices are the same as Apple's devices. As MacRumors points out, only Apple's lawyers will be able to see the prototype Samsung gear. Similarly, if Samsung were granted access to the iPhone 5 and iPad 3, only the company's lawyers would be able to view them. Still, since it's Samsung that is on the defensive, it's not likely that Samsung will be granted access to Apple's prototypes. Apple first filed suit against Samsung in April, claiming the Samsung Galaxy line too closely imitated the look and feel of its iOS devices.
iPhone 5 rumors prompted by Apple purchase of glass-cutting machines
Cheesy phishing scams notwithstanding, there is an incredible amount of interest growing in Apple's next-generation iPhone. The rumors about the iPhone 5 started the day that the iPhone 4 began showing up in stores, and almost a year later, they're reaching a fever pitch. Lately the rumors have been a bit more believable and are coming from industry sources. Digitimes is reporting that the front cover glass of the iPhone 5 may be curved, a completely different design from the flat face used in all preceding designs. The blog based its report on buzz being generated in the Taiwanese supply chain, noting that manufacturers were "reluctant to commit investment to the purchase of glass cutting equipment due to the high capital involved." Apple allegedly reached into its very deep pockets to purchase 200 - 300 glass cutting machines for glass makers to use. These machines are being stored at assembly plants to be brought online as soon as yields for the curved glass covers fulfill expectations. The novel curved glass cover appears to be keeping Apple and suppliers busy right now trying to improve yield rates. Once those rates reach acceptable levels, volume production may begin. Now that we've heard about the curved cover glass, we'll keep our eyes open for a unique phone lying unattended in a bar...
Another phishing email takes on Apple themes
According to MacRumors, yet another Apple-styled phishing email is making the rounds. This one seems to be a lot more insidious than another phishing email that circulated last week. While the earlier email had several aspects to it that were dead giveaways it was fake, this new email could very easily trip up anyone who doesn't pay attention to the latest Apple news. The "from" line says the email comes from Apple.com (noreply@apple.com), lending an air of credulity to it that the earlier email lacked. The message claims to be concerned with the debut of the iPhone 5, and it contains images pulled from various sources around the Web alongside some copy written in a very Apple-y style. Our readers will no doubt recognize these images as fake right away, but they might appear plausible to people who don't follow the news very closely. As such, this email is potentially more dangerous than the one that was circulating last week, particularly since an inviting "check it out" link downloads a Windows executable file that could contain just about anything. It probably seems obvious to us Apple fans, but for everyone else it bears mentioning: Apple doesn't announce new products via email like this, especially not flagship products such as the iPhone. For major product launches, Apple puts on a keynote event that gets wide media coverage; for minor product refreshes, sites like this one get the word out even when Apple doesn't draw much attention to them itself. If you get an email like this that claims to be about the latest and greatest Apple product, but no one else on the internet has discussed it at all, don't bother clicking anything and just delete the message. Better yet, until this latest round of phishing emails gets monkey-stomped into the digital dirt, it's probably a good idea to avoid clicking on anything in any unsolicited messages that appear to be from Apple. If you really want to see what's new on the Apple Store, the URL is very easy to remember: store.apple.com.
iPhone 5 may feature curved glass screen, continue iPod nano legacy
DigiTimes has been canvassing its manufacturing industry sources again, and today it's managed to extract some intel regarding Apple's typically secretive supply chain. Steve Jobs' team are said to have purchased between 200 and 300 glass-cutting machines, specifically in order to use them to slice up curved glass display covers for the iPhone 5. This move has apparently been in an effort to accelerate production, with glass makers reportedly showing a reluctance to buy the machinery themselves due to its prohibitive cost. Lest you think this sense of urgency might accelerate the iPhone 5 from its earlier-rumored September launch, DigiTimes also reports that yields of curved glass are not yet good enough to start using said fancy machines. So the iPhone may be headed for the same curvacious look as we've already seen on Dell's Venue and HTC's Sensation (or maybe even the concavity of the Nexus S), but as is Apple's wont, it looks like that will be done with a tailor-made, custom solution. At least those Cupertino designers have a couple of generations of curved iPod nano screens under their belt, giving them a good idea of how to handle the atypical glass frontage. Now if we could just have a good idea of when this phone will actually be on sale...
iPad 2 supply constraints improved, next iPhone orders arriving 'several months later than usual'
According to AppleInsider, Shaw Wu with Sterne Agee issued a research note today stating that iPad 2 constraints have "significantly improved" this quarter thanks to "retooling and conversion of more overseas production lines." That's good news for those of you still waiting to get your hands on an iPad 2. A second report out today from Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster says that Apple's orders for new iPhone parts are "several months later than usual." Munster sees the delayed parts order as a sign that the rumors saying the next iPhone won't ship until September are correct. Munster has also assembled a chart indicating that there are, on average, 79 days between an iOS software event and the iPhone hardware announcement and 99 days between the iOS software event and the actual ship date of the new iPhone. According to those averages, based on the likelihood of iOS 5 being revealed on June 6 (at WWDC), the fifth-generation iPhone will be announced on August 24 and ship on September 13.
Verizon finally killing unlimited data plans this summer, says it'll get iPhone 5 at same time as AT&T
Verizon's been telegraphing its intent to drop unlimited data plans for nearly a year, and despite the fact that LTE smartphones launched with all-you-can-eat options, those plans haven't changed one bit. Reuters reports that Verizon will finally nix the megabyte buffet this summer, replacing it with a fully tiered data pricing scheme, though CFO Fran Shammo also floated the idea that tiered data could open up an avenue for family data plans. We've never really enjoyed sharing minutes, so we doubt counting our kilobytes will be much fun, but we suppose there's always room for Verizon to pleasantly surprise us with a really low price for mobile web browsing. Right? By the by, Fran also reiterated claims that the next iPhone will be a global device, and said that when it launches on AT&T, it'll hit Verizon stores at the very same time.
1080p camera sensor could be in the next iPhone, iPad, iPod touch
As Engadget reports, OmniVision Technologies, Apple's supplier of CMOS sensors for the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad, has unveiled a 5 MP camera sensor that is capable of recording 1080p video. The sensor, named OV5690, is thin enough to fit in the iPod touch and iPad -- unlike the current 5 MP OmniVision CMOS sensor, which will only fit in the iPhone 4's body. The OV5690 sensor would be a huge boon to the iPad and iPod touch, whose cameras are currently capped at less than 1 MP and shoot video in 720p. As for the next iPhone, the OV5690 sensor would definitely fit in it, but that would mean the iPhone's camera resolution would be limited to 5 MP -- the current resolution of the iPhone 4. There have been plenty of rumors floating around that the next iPhone will sport at least an 8 MP camera. But if Apple wanted to go more than 8 MP and offer users the ability to shoot in 1080p they could, as MacStories notes. In January OmniVision introduced a 10 MP camera sensor that shoots in 1080p and would fit in the iPhone 4's body.
Digitimes: LTE iPhone in 2012, Apple lowering iPhone 4 orders
Digitimes reports that Apple has lowered its iPhone 4 shipment volume for calendar Q2 2011 in anticipation of slower sales as the company prepares to unveil a new iPhone in September. Digitimes says supply chain makers have confirmed Apple has lowered iPhone 4 shipments from 20 million units down to 17.5-18 million units. Of those, 16 million units will be the GSM version, while 1.5-2 million units will be the CDMA version. In a second report, Digitimes says Apple is unlikely to unveil an LTE-equipped iPhone before 2012. This isn't really new; there have been numerous reports that LTE chipsets aren't currently made small enough to fit in the iPhone's form factor, and even if they were, they aren't available in the quantity Apple would need to satiate consumer demand for the next iPhone.
Toshiba 4-inch 720p display for Apple?
Toshiba announced the lineup of products that will be displayed at its booth at SID 2011. Among those products will be a 4-inch 720p display for mobile phones. Rumors have been floating around for a while now that Apple was investing in a Toshiba-owned manufacturing facility for Retina Displays, and a 720p display on an iPhone would certainly qualify as Retina. As the press release points out, Toshiba's displays will feature other new technologies, including high-contrast (up to 1,500:1), high-color (up to 92 percent NTSC) and wide viewing angle (up to H/V 176º/176º). However, if Apple is indeed planning on using a 4-inch display in an upcoming iPhone, it probably won't be the next one. Most of the rumors point to the fifth-generation iPhone, presumably set to debut in September, keeping the same form factor as the current iPhone 4. There's also the app scaling factor Apple would need to take into account, and devs might not be happy about having to release their apps for two different sized screens. That being said, I wouldn't be surprised to see Apple using a 4-inch 720p display in a sixth generation iPhone. Rumors have been floating around for a while now that Apple is working on an iPhone with an edge-to-edge screen, and the company could conceivably use a 4-inch display in such a device without increasing the size of the iPhone's body.
