Apple iPhone 5S screen production to begin in June

Apple iPhone 5

Sharp is reportedly set to ramp up production of LCD screens next month in time for an autumn launch of the next iPhone, most likely the iPhone 5S.

Apple is widely tipped to be planning to launch an iPhone 5S upgrade to the existing iPhone later this year, possibly followed by a cheaper iPhone later in the year or in 2014.

Nikkan in Japan, via AppleInsider, reports Sharp, LG Display and Japan Display (Hitachi, Sony and Toshiba) have been primed for mass production of iPhone screens beginning next month.

Sharp already supplies panels to Apple, Samsung and others, while LG Display is the world's laregest suppllier of screens of all sizes, from smartphones to TVs.

Japan Display formed at the back end of 2011 in an effort to give smaller screen-manufacturers greater collective clout, with the aim of expanding its production of small-sized screens for portable devices. The group bought an LCD factory from Panasonic for just that purpose, no less.

Whether it's the iPhone 5S or iPhone 6, any new iPhone will almost certainly have the same size screen as the iPhone 5 but run iOS 7, which will almost certainly be unveiled at the Apple WWDC in June.

Familiar Apple upgrades to the processor and camera are likely, too, while rumours of features such as a fingerprint sensor and an Apple streaming music service, 'iRadio', persist.

Flagship phones such as the HTC One, Samsung Galaxy S4 and Sony Xperia Z have all come with USP features, so no doubt Apple will want to once more raise the bar.

The Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) will run from June 10th to 14th, so that looks set to be the next date for concrete iPhone news.

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Written by Joe Cox

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Joe Cox
Content Director

Joe is Content Director for T3 and What Hi-Fi?, having previously been the Global Editor-in-Chief of What Hi-Fi?. He has worked on What Hi-Fi? across the print magazine and website for more than 15 years, writing news, reviews and features on everything from turntables to TVs, headphones to hi-fi separates. He has covered product launch events across the world, from Apple to Technics, Sony and Samsung; reported from CES, the Bristol Show, and Munich High End for many years; and written for sites such as the BBC, Stuff, and the Guardian. In his spare time, he enjoys expanding his vinyl collection and cycling (not at the same time).