iPhone Hardware

According to DigiTimes sources in Apple's supply chain are expecting the company to use in-cell touch panels on the next generation iPhone. These panels combine color filters and touch sensors into a single layer, which reduces thickness.

Toshiba Mobile Display and Sharp have stepped up production of the panels, making them an option for Apple's next iPhone. Although it doesn't reflect any known Apple prototype, the next generation iPhone concept above comes to us from Italian design studio ADR.

Now that 2011 has come and gone without Apple launching a smaller, entry-level iPhone, the time is ripe for a resurgence of rumors on the topic. As we have come to expect every year, reports have arrived of an iPhone nano in the works. BGR gives us the scoop this time, citing China Times and their supplier connections.

To recap for those unfamiliar, the iPhone nano would be designed to help increase market share for iOS by providing a lower-end, less expensive smartphone. With a smaller profile the iPhone nano could also appeal to those seeking a simpler device with a more compact form factor.

Good news for those looking to buy replacement parts for a non-existent iPhone. The home button for the next generation iOS device is here, and it will cost you five bucks. The parts come to us direct from Shenzhen, China's TVC-Mall. The home button comes in white or black.

The only difference between the next generation iPhone home button and the iPhone 4S part is a wider recessed base around the outside of the central button. The current part has two tabs sticking out of the sides, instead of a rectangular base around the entire edge.

Every time a new technology surfaces that could be used in a portable electronic device, the iPhone seems to pop up. Apple likes to be ahead of the curve, and there's no doubt the company is always on the lookout for better ways to power their mobile offerings. Enter the NEC Organic Radical Battery (ORB), which was first announced in 2005.

With a recharge time of just 30 seconds, the ORB breaks new ground. Not only this, but the revamped battery contains no heavy metals like current lithium rechargeable batteries. That means recycling or disposal of the ORB doesn't involve any toxic materials.

Rumors of Apple considering OLED technology for the iPhone display have been floating around for years. Now a report from The Korea Times has rekindled the notion that Apple might switch over to the power-sipping display technology in a future iPhone.

An unnamed Samsung executive explained that Apple has questions over "an output commitment and product volume as Samsung’s OLED business isn’t on full track. But chances have risen to break the wall." Samsung Electronics launched an affiliate company, Samsung Display, which will focus solely on the LCD and OLED display business. The segment currently brings Samsung over $26 billion in annual revenues.