Revelations on the New iPhone

There was finally some official information about the next-generation iPhone’s timeline after Sharp announced it would start shipping screens for the Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) device next month. Sharp was identified as a supplier by Apple last year and is one of three companies expected to manufacture screens for the new device. The other two are LG Display (NYSE:LPL) and Japan Display.

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“Shipments will start in August,” Sharp president Takashi Okuda said after his company released its latest quarterly earnings on Thursday, according to Reuters. Okuda declined to offer a more specific date.

The new iPhone is widely expected to be released in October ahead of the holiday shopping season. Some reports have also suggested that Apple is planning a major product launch on September 12, leading to speculation that the next version of the phone may arrive then.

It is also being rumored that Apple will increase the size of the screen on its new phone to 4 inches from 3.5 inches in an effort to compete more strongly against rival Google (NASDAQ:GOOG) Android phones of Samsung and HTC. It could also have a faster and more efficient processor and be capable of handling 4G wireless networks. The device may also be thinner than current iPhone models as Apple is said to be working on embedding touch sensors into the liquid crystal display and eliminating the separate touch-screen layer.

Earlier this year, Apple manufacturing partner Foxconn bought a 10 percent stake in Sharp for $808 million.

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