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Meandmunch

macrumors 6502
Jan 3, 2002
496
143
What exactly are we talking about here. Microscopic fractions of a millimeter or like full millimeters?
 

Mad-B-One

macrumors 6502a
Jun 24, 2011
789
5
San Antonio, Texas
How much thinner can a display get and still be tough enough to make a difference?

I think it is more about the display itself and its components, not about the cover glass which protects it. So, you get i tiny layer eliminated by integrating the sensor into the display instead of a layer between display and cover glass.
 

tigress666

macrumors 68040
Apr 14, 2010
3,288
17
Washington State
Cool, I guess.

I qualify my "cool" just because whenever I use my iPhone the last thing I ever think is "Man, I wish this thing was thinner."

My 40-year-old eyes are just hoping the 4" screen rumors are true (and I'm pretty sure they are).

Yeah but do you ever wish for better battery life? This would help them put in a bigger battery ;).
 

Moonjumper

macrumors 68030
Jun 20, 2009
2,740
2,908
Lincoln, UK
Improving technology is great. More space for other things in the device, or a thinner device. Other things is my preference.

The fact that it is Japanese manufacturers adds more weight to the possibility that the next iPhone might have an IGZO screen.
 

docziandras

macrumors member
Apr 20, 2012
42
38
Budapest, Hungary
I just hope they dont keep making them thinner for the sake of thinness.

If the LCD is thinner, i just hope they put a larger battery.

I guess they also try to find space for the LTE chip, which is larger than the 3G chips. The battery may be bigger too because LTE needs more power. So I don't think the device will be thinner at all.
 

d0vr

macrumors 6502a
Feb 24, 2011
603
1
I want to be able to slip my iPhone into the pocket of my shirt and not even feel its there.

One day!

I'm the opposite, I love a heavy-ish device so I can know it's there. If I don't feel it, I worry someone has stolen it or I've left it somewhere by accident.. and I already don't feel it's there sometimes.

----------

I guess they also try to find space for the LTE chip, which is larger than the 3G chips. The battery may be bigger too because LTE needs more power. So I don't think the device will be thinner at all.

It better be world ready LTE this time, instead of USA only! There is no way I am paying the premium for LTE if I can't use it (and I want usable LTE in my next phone). I'll just buy a second hand 4S or an Android if I can't use LTE on it.
 

docziandras

macrumors member
Apr 20, 2012
42
38
Budapest, Hungary
I'm the opposite, I love a heavy-ish device so I can know it's there. If I don't feel it, I worry someone has stolen it or I've left it somewhere by accident.. and I already don't feel it's there sometimes.

It's the same by me. Heavier somehow feels more durable and well-built too, in my opinion.
 

chrmjenkins

macrumors 603
Oct 29, 2007
5,325
158
MD
I just hope they dont keep making them thinner for the sake of thinness.

If the LCD is thinner, i just hope they put a larger battery.

They wouldn't do it for the sake of thinness of the display. Either they are going to make the device thinner, lighter, or use extra space for more battery.
 

docziandras

macrumors member
Apr 20, 2012
42
38
Budapest, Hungary
It better be world ready LTE this time, instead of USA only! There is no way I am paying the premium for LTE if I can't use it (and I want usable LTE in my next phone). I'll just buy a second hand 4S or an Android if I can't use LTE on it.

Agreed! I'm also outside the US and it has kinda upset me. Even though I couldn't use it because LTE is not so advanced where I live.
 

nagromme

macrumors G5
May 2, 2002
12,546
1,196
It would be interesting for some researcher/reporter to take a step back and look at how iOS (or Apple in general) has advanced technologies of all kinds, which then go on to affect other industries. iPhone led directly to Android and Windows Metro (the first as a clone attempt, the second as a response). It resulted in mass-production of all kinds of tech, used by many more companies than just Apple themselves. Think of all the things that Apple didn’t even invent, but that because of Apple, are big enough in the market for someone else to invent them; maybe including this. Or, at least big enough in the market to be worth evolving farther, making smaller, etc. Heck, iPhone probably led to faster advancement of e-ink and OLED tech!
 

mdelvecchio

macrumors 68040
Sep 3, 2010
3,151
1,149
Isn't the iPhone already thin enough?

I don't see what making it even thinner would accomplish. In fact, a thinner iPhone may actually be harder to hold comfortably in your hand at this point.

did you see an announcement anywhere from apple stating it would be thinner? i havent.

but if they can make components smaller & thinner, they can increase battery size -- necessary for things like LTE and bigger screens. thats the point of smaller components.
 

jayducharme

macrumors 601
Jun 22, 2006
4,517
5,936
The thick of it
I greatly look forward to duck taping three together in the morning for triple blade shaving goodness.

Brilliant! But 5 would give a smoother shave.

I can't see the iPhone getting thinner if it stays an all-glass shell. It's already fragile enough. If the glass were more flexible or if that Liquid Metal back becomes a reality, then it might be possible to slim it down. But I agree with another poster: it can only get so thin before it becomes uncomfortable to hold.
 

fertilized-egg

macrumors 68020
Dec 18, 2009
2,109
57
Does anyone know if there are phones already using this?

Apparently not. Like the new iPad's "Retina" this technology is something that's waiting for someone who's capable of making a big investment and quantity guarantee to make it viable in production.

While it can provide a thinner display and smaller bezel, the big problem I've heard last year is that with in-cell display the touch sensitivity can suffer, and we know how important that is to Apple. If this rumor is true they must've spend a great deal of effort fixing that problem.
 

justperry

macrumors G5
Aug 10, 2007
12,553
9,745
I'm a rolling stone.
I'm the opposite, I love a heavy-ish device so I can know it's there. If I don't feel it, I worry someone has stolen it or I've left it somewhere by accident.. and I already don't feel it's there sometimes.

----------



It better be world ready LTE this time, instead of USA only! There is no way I am paying the premium for LTE if I can't use it (and I want usable LTE in my next phone). I'll just buy a second hand 4S or an Android if I can't use LTE on it.

Agreed! I'm also outside the US and it has kinda upset me. Even though I couldn't use it because LTE is not so advanced where I live.

It will.

The MDM9615 and MDM8215 are designed to pair up with the WTR1605 radio frequency IC and PM8018 power management IC to provide a highly integrated chipset solution. The WTR1605 will be Qualcomm’s first Radio Transceiver in Wafer Level Package and will be a highly integrated radio transceiver with multi-mode (LTE FDD, LTE TDD, CDMA, WCDMA, TD-SCDMA, GSM) and multi-band support.


http://www.qualcomm.com/media/releases/2011/02/14/qualcomm-introduces-28nm-mass-market-ltedc-hspa-chipsets-mobile-broadband-

Next iPhone after that (2013) will probably support LTE Adv.


Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ: QCOM) today announced that its next generation Gobi™ modem chipsets, the MDM8225™, MDM9225™ and MDM9625™ chipsets, will begin sampling in Q4 2012 and will be the first to support both HSPA+ Release 10 and the next-generation of the LTE mobile broadband standard, LTE Advanced.

http://www.qualcomm.com/media/releases/2012/02/27/qualcomm-third-generation-lte-chipsets-are-first-support-hspa-release-10-l
 

Digital Skunk

macrumors G3
Dec 23, 2006
8,096
916
In my imagination
Cool, I guess.

I qualify my "cool" just because whenever I use my iPhone the last thing I ever think is "Man, I wish this thing was thinner."

My 40-year-old eyes are just hoping the 4" screen rumors are true (and I'm pretty sure they are).

I agree. It's still one of the best built phones on the market, and still manages to weight a little less and be pretty darn thin.

I hope the 4" screen rumors are VERY true. The iPhone just needs to have a bigger screen before I drop the $$$ for it.
 

chrmjenkins

macrumors 603
Oct 29, 2007
5,325
158
MD

I don't know any carriers that have even announced a roadmap for LTE-advanced. Got to be several years out still. They are focusing on initial LTE roll-out to start with.
 
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