Rumor has 7.85-inch iPad using thin-film touch technology
updated 10:54 am EDT, Tue May 15, 2012
Tech could cut down cost of lower-end iPad
Apple's often-reported 7/7.85-inch iPad will use "G/F2" thin-film touch technology, a rumor from DigiTimes claims. The site says that Nitto will supply thin-film materials, while Nissha Printing and TPK will produce touchscreens. For Apple the advantage should not only be a thinner display, but also reduced costs, which may be essential if the tablet has a $200-250 pricetag rumored elsewhere.
The "G/F2" technology uses one less layer than the conventional "G/F/F" -- glass/film/film -- used in current iPads. "The G/F2 structure places the electrode on the top and bottom ends of the ITO film, which will then be laminated onto the cover glass," DigiTimes explains. The new iPad model will also allegedly benefit by having a more transparent display, while having high sensitivity in spite of industry worries about thin-film.
DigiTimes further contends that the tablet will launch in the fourth quarter of the year. While the site has a mixed track record for accuracy, a Q4 release would be consistent with other recent reports. Still uncertain is what resolution it will use, as while most accounts have hinted at a 1024x768 screen, one has implied that it could use the same 2048x1536 resolution as the 9.7-inch iPad. That would give it a 326ppi pixel density, identical to that of the iPhone 4S.
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Apr 2001
DigiTimes Again?
Let's not use DigiTimes as a source of anything any more. They've been spewing out so many wrong rumors for so long that I am surprised anyone would think of them as a source. Heck, maybe I should get in this rumor game. I couldn't do any worse than DigiTimes. Heck, even Gizmodo doesn't trust them.
I won't believe that a 7" iPad exists, until I see it in the store, buy one, unbox it, and measure it myself with a tape measure.