Apple Orders Display Driver Chips From Synaptics for Next iPhones

[ghost187]

Miss Steve here:
"customers don't know what they want until we've shown them!"

and Henry Ford:
“if I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses.”

Yep, I didn't know I wanted plastic antenna lines and a thinner phone with a protruding camera, but Apple magically delivered exactly what I want.

Look, let's snap out of the reality distortion field for a second, we all know what we want, we just don't have the time or resources to create what we want, so when someone else does it, we say ok, and we buy it.

Everyone who follows technology could have said they want a computer in their pocket with an easy to use interface before the iPhone came out. Apple (not Steve Jobs all alone) did it first in a way that was polished and well executed.

If Apple sold the iPhone I described, I bet you it would sell more, but I understand it's a business, and they can't give us everything at once. It's more profitable to give us just enough to upgrade every year so that we get a new iPhone next year.

If the iPhone 6 had 2gb of ram and 12mp 4k camera, the 6S would be tough sell this year. Let's see what they do next year.

 

[happydude]

Apple has placed LCD display driver orders with touchscreen supplier Synaptics for its next-generation iPhones, indicating the Cupertino-based company's in-house development of touch and display driver integration (TDDI) chips may have fallen behind schedule, according to Taiwanese website DigiTimes.

iPhone 7 concept with integrated Touch ID by designer Martin Hajek​

Synaptics acquired Renesas SP Drivers, reportedly the sole supplier of LCD driver ICs for iPhones, in September 2014 in an effort to maintain orders from Apple, and for now it appears the iPhone maker will remain one of its customers. The supplier also works with Google, HTC, Microsoft, Samsung, Sony and other smartphone makers.

Apple previously recruited senior Renesas engineers to internally develop TDDI chips with Touch ID integrated into the display. The single-chip solution could allow for the Home button to be eliminated on future iOS devices, but Apple ordering regular display drivers from Synaptics indicates the technology may not be ready for the iPhone 7.

Apple has filed multiple patents for displays with integrated Touch ID and trackpad capabilities over the past few years, and the iPhone 7 lineup is due for a significant redesign, but it remains too early to predict whether Apple will ever remove its iconic Home button on future iPhones.

In March, Synaptics announced the first TDDI single-chip solutions for smartphones and tablets, allowing for thinner and brighter displays with best-in-class capacitive touch performance. The reduced number of components, fewer lamination steps and increased manufacturing yield of TDDI chips also lowers production costs.

Article Link: Apple Orders Display Driver Chips From Synaptics for Next iPhones

Can't get rid of physical button. Need hard restart/reset option when apps or the phone itself becomes unresponsive to touch. Happens every few days for me. Some apps are buggy and need a physical button to get out of it or to restart phone. Unless they come up with an on button-volume button alternative but that's not exactly user friendly. Apple can't and shouldn't get rid of physical home button.

 

[Andres Cantu]

Why do people want their phone to have the same resolution/format as their tv? The current iPhone (plus models) has over 400 pixels per inch. That's beyond sufficient. There is exactly zero need for an increase. The only time it would be useful is if the screen needed to be positioned within an inch or two of your eyes, for a hypothetical VR situation. For normal operations, I would be disappointed if Apple increased the pixel count needlessly which would just drain battery life.

You said it yourself, only the Plus models. I want a 1080p display in the regular model, too.

 

[Aston441]

Can't get rid of physical button. Need hard restart/reset option when apps or the phone itself becomes unresponsive to touch. Happens every few days for me. Some apps are buggy and need a physical button to get out of it or to restart phone. Unless they come up with an on button-volume button alternative but that's not exactly user friendly. Apple can't and shouldn't get rid of physical home button.

Android... even Windows Mobile ten years ago could do reset functions with the volume and power keys.

How about a completely sealed solid sapphire iPhone with wireless charging. That would have to be reset with a special magnetic key provided in the box with each iPhone. Replacement keys would cost $40. lol

 

[acctman]

the home button is needed for the finger print scanner... they'll probably put two invisible touch areas right now to it... and allow you to program what they do...

 

[NMBob]

Can't get rid of physical button. Need hard restart/reset option when apps or the phone itself becomes unresponsive to touch. Happens every few days for me. Some apps are buggy and need a physical button to get out of it or to restart phone. Unless they come up with an on button-volume button alternative but that's not exactly user friendly. Apple can't and shouldn't get rid of physical home button.

They could make it where you turn the phone end-over-end five times in 15 seconds to do a hard reset...or you throw it against the wall to do a hard reset. It's got all them sensors in it.

 

[ArtOfWarfare]

Just get rid of the fingerprint scanner in the home button. Make it so the entire screen is capable of reading fingerprints. That would really streamline a lot of stuff in iOS, I feel like - no more explicitly asking for your fingerprint when you tap in the bank app to access your account details - it can just read your fingerprint from the tap on your account. The App Store checks your fingerprint when you tap on the Buy button. Tap anywhere for Apple Pay. Just slide to unlock your iPhone - it'll slide to the home screen if it recognized the finger or it'll slide to the lock screen if it doesn't.

 

[Leonard1818]

Human beings are very solution-oriented. They see a problem, and they immediately decide what, for them, is the best solution. They don't generally dig beyond that surface, nor do they take into account the needs of others in solving their problem.

Not sure if defending their post or....

In this case, it seems like the reverse of what you're saying. The rendering offers an interesting solution and our narcissistic friend seems to be trying to fit that solution to a potential problem they don't seem to have ...accessing the utilities offered currently in the control center. I think it's less "human nature" and more inability to think beyond oneself and their own needs. i.e. ignorance.

 

[cwt1nospam]

#1, yes -- it's just a concept. No need to put your sarcasm hat on, even if it does match your pessimist pants.
#2, maybe those shortcuts are insignificant TO YOU, but some of us use them a lot (myself included). You would be benefited (in many facets of life) by thinking from other perspectives too, not just your own.

Sure, it's a concept, but not a good one. It looks like a hole is drilled in the middle of the screen for a home button. No way that's going to happen, nor should it. If/when they replace the home button, the solution will be far more elegant than this.

 

[farmboy]

Hard to see them ditching the home button to be honest. Wouldn't be the same replacing it with a software version. Especially when apps crash and are unresponsive to any software inputs.

Legit concern, but I'm guessing that's where the physical power button comes into play.

 

[JohnApples]

Is it already time for the hilarious mockups? Well, at least it's slightly better than the deodorant-stick-looking iPhone 6 concept

I'm actually not sure what Apple will do this time. Lots of talk about getting rid of the home button, but it seems like it will cause more problems than it will solve. If they are removing it, I'm sure they already have it figured out. All I know is that the iPhone 7 will be very interesting!

 

[AbSoluTc]

Here is a list of things I'm looking forward to in iPhone 7:

1.) Significant reduction in top and bottom bezel (they can relocate the home button to the side and incorporate Touch ID onto the screen).

2.) Get rid of the camera hump (this can be done by using multiple camera sensors).

3.) Get rid of the ugly antenna lines (by bringing back the glass inserts from iPhone 5).

4.) Switch to an OLED display (I bought an LG OLED TV last year and nothing even comes close to it's picture quality).

Well, according to all the rumors so far, non of these will happen next year, so I am probably describing iPhone 8.

If the "rumor" this thread is about, Apple will NOT be using OLED clearly since they are sourcing LCD display drivers for the iPhone 7. Unless those drivers can be used on OLED? Not sure.

 

[NightFox]

It can be used to easily bring up which card to pay using Apple Pay, but Apple Pay is generally activated when placed near an NFC reader.

Didn't know that - so are you saying that if I present my sleeping iPhone to a NFC payment terminal, it will launch Wallet?

 

[joueboy]

It would be nice if along the TouchID will be a secondary e-ink display. Keeping that 4 icons when turned on or customisable. But use for weather and notification when not in the home screen. To further save more power the secondary screen can access contacts and make call without turning on the main display. Time to wake up, I'm just dreaming.

 

[FelixDerKater]

Never in a million years will this happen.

 

[jdoll021]

Am I the only one who sees TDDI and thinks "Turbo Diesel Direct Injection?"

Yes, I probably am.

 

[Hexiii]

I don't mean to be hater, but this mockup looks terrible, adding barely any usability...

 

[Piggie]

Hard to see them ditching the home button to be honest. Wouldn't be the same replacing it with a software version. Especially when apps crash and are unresponsive to any software inputs.

You have other buttons around the device if you feel the need for a physical reset button

 

[MasterRyu2011]

Here is a list of things I'm looking forward to in iPhone 7:

1.) Significant reduction in top and bottom bezel (they can relocate the home button to the side and incorporate Touch ID onto the screen).

2.) Get rid of the camera hump (this can be done by using multiple camera sensors).

3.) Get rid of the ugly antenna lines (by bringing back the glass inserts from iPhone 5).

4.) Switch to an OLED display (I bought an LG OLED TV last year and nothing even comes close to it's picture quality).

Well, according to all the rumors so far, non of these will happen next year, so I am probably describing iPhone 8.

You no want battery improvement/innovation?

 

[Poochi]

Yep, I didn't know I wanted plastic antenna lines and a thinner phone with a protruding camera, but Apple magically delivered exactly what I want.

Look, let's snap out of the reality distortion field for a second, we all know what we want, we just don't have the time or resources to create what we want, so when someone else does it, we say ok, and we buy it.

Everyone who follows technology could have said they want a computer in their pocket with an easy to use interface before the iPhone came out. Apple (not Steve Jobs all alone) did it first in a way that was polished and well executed.

If Apple sold the iPhone I described, I bet you it would sell more, but I understand it's a business, and they can't give us everything at once. It's more profitable to give us just enough to upgrade every year so that we get a new iPhone next year.

If the iPhone 6 had 2gb of ram and 12mp 4k camera, the 6S would be tough sell this year. Let's see what they do next year.

Apple could pull this off because competitors are incompetent (for example, Samsung, Microsoft, Blackberry)

 

[pat500000]

With all these software problems in OS X and iOS, why should I believe this software based id touch will work effectively?

 

[iChrist]

but but but. . .I love my physical Home button.

Don't worry. This whole thing reeks of sapphire, Apple won't make this happen either. They have issues producing their own hardware, they need to outsource components and send to China to assemble.

Too bad.,

 

[BruceEBonus]

One thing you can rely on Apple being these days is 'legacy-loyal'. In other words everything is still based on old designs from the Jobs era. They look identical to the 2007 model eight years ago with no major changes since his demise, only resized products based on the original iPhone. Now. You can decide if this is a respectful gesture by Apple to honour Steve's foresight and unique talent in innovating stuff people wanted. Or you can say Tim 'The Caretaker' Cook is treading water nowadays. If past track record is anything to go by then it's a safe bet you'll not have too steep a learning curve with the next 'un. Result!

 

[H2SO4]

nice concept...i like

Looks brilliant. Except for the antenna bands and camera. Again.

 

[MasterRyu2011]

The idea of expanding the screen real estate without increasing the phone size, is really appealing to me. I have the 6s and that is plenty big of a form factor. If they could use the entire surface of the 5s, I would downsize. but even at the 6s size increased screen without having to go to the plus size is a good thing. As for this particular concept, not sure, but the idea is right.

This. Samsung has been master at this. Every year the Note 5 gets more screen space but stays within the previous generation size.

Why do people want their phone to have the same resolution/format as their tv? The current iPhone (plus models) has over 400 pixels per inch. That's beyond sufficient. There is exactly zero need for an increase. The only time it would be useful is if the screen needed to be positioned within an inch or two of your eyes, for a hypothetical VR situation. For normal operations, I would be disappointed if Apple increased the pixel count needlessly which would just drain battery life.

The best compromise would be to make a high resolution screen (2K+) but allow users to change the resolution output by the graphics processor via a setting like on a computer monitor. Those who want to stick with 720p and 1080p are happy and get their battery life bliss and those who want to show off once in a while or play around with Google Cardboard can still crank up the res to the max and be happy as well.