Sharp confirms new iPhone screens will ship this month

Sharp confirms new iPhone screens will ship this month
It's coming, we know that much

Sharp has confirmed that it will start shipping displays destined for the iPhone 5 this month, as production of the new iPhone starts to ramp up.

The announcement was made by Takashi Okuda, Sharp's new president during a press briefing in Tokoyo, where the Japense firm was releasing its quarterly financial results.

Talking about the displays for the new iPhone Okuda said: "shipments will start in August", however he would not be drawn on providing more information.

Size does matter

The size of the display set to feature on the iPhone 5 is still a mystery, but it's widely thought that Apple will, for the first time, bump the size up from the 3.5-inch offering on all previous models, to a slightly more ample 4-inch option.

Consider that the sixth generation of iPhone will be going head-to-head with the 4.7-inch HTC One X and 4.8-inch Samsung Galaxy S3, and you'll see that the Cupertino-based firm needs to ensure it at least keeps pace with its rivals.

As we consume more media, games and web pages on our phones, the need for a larger display becomes more apparent, and while some will argue that 3.5-inches is just the right size, there's a strong case for the opposite.

We expect the iPhone 5 to land sometime in September or October, with a new iPhone launch date of September 12 being heavily rumoured at the moment.

From Reuters

John McCann
Global Managing Editor

John joined TechRadar over a decade ago as Staff Writer for Phones, and over the years has built up a vast knowledge of the tech industry. He's interviewed CEOs from some of the world's biggest tech firms, visited their HQs and has appeared on live TV and radio, including Sky News, BBC News, BBC World News, Al Jazeera, LBC and BBC Radio 4. Originally specializing in phones, tablets and wearables, John is now TechRadar's resident automotive expert, reviewing the latest and greatest EVs and PHEVs on the market. John also looks after the day-to-day running of the site.