Apple may opt for curved touchscreens in 1h 2012

An industry rumor on Monday claimed that Apple was developing mobile devices with curved glass. The company has supposedly given part suppliers help by buying glass polishing hardware, Digitimes said. Three companies have been identified supplying cover glass, with Fuji Crystal and Lens Technology focusing on iPhones and G-Tech handling iPads.

Both Apple and its competitors were lining up for a first-half 2012 release of devices using the curved glass, contacts said. Apple could apply it to either the iPad or the iPhone in this case, since until this year the company was always unveiling new iPhones in June, even if they shipped in July. An iPad's size might make the feature prohibitive.

Rumors of a curved glass screen on the iPhone have persisted since at least May. At the time, however, they were applied around the iPhone 5, not its successor. Most presume this year's version will still have a flat screen.

Curved glass devices aren't unknown to the industry. Dell tried to make convex glass a special feature of the Venue Pro and later the regular Android-based Venue. The feature has usually been considered purely cosmetic but can lead to rounded, more organic-looking devices.

By Electronista Staff