NTT DoCoMo has announced that the Sharp Aquos SH-07D, SH-09D, and SH-10D smartphones will be appearing on its network this summer. The three phones, each running Android 4.0, will debut separately on the network in a variety of colors.
Sources for Reuters are supporting Wall Street Journal claims that Apple is using 4-inch displays for the next iPhone, and has already begun to place orders for the new parts. As with the earlier report, Reuters says that LG Display, Sharp, and Japan Display are handling production, which is allegedly in early stages; full production orders could begin in June. iPhone assembly could start as soon as August, if Apple follows normal patterns. One source comments that it's still uncertain what share of display production each supplier will have.
The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Apple has placed orders for iPhone displays measuring ‘at least 4-inches diagonally’ for its sixth generation iPhone expected in October. Citing ‘people familiar with the situation’ production on the new displays is set to begin next month. Apple is said to be working with LG, Sharp and Japan Display (a newly formed partnership between Sony, Hitachi and Toshiba) on the new screens, which can be expected to be Retina Display-class.
Sharp in reporting its full-year results Friday both outlined a planned return to health and detailed the costs of a shift to mobile technology. It posted a steep loss equivalent to nearly $4.7 billion for its fiscal year, which ended with a $1.4 billion loss for its March quarter, but planned for its current fiscal year to get a slight profit of $248.2 million. Most of that would come from its partial change to mobile, as it expected TV sales to drop 19 percent even as the overall LCD business grew 29 percent.
Sharp has posted (pdf) what it is referring to as an ‘extraordinary loss’ largely due to LCD business restructuring. Sharp expects that the costs incurred in converting its production lines for large screen Aquos LCD TVs will be recouped by focusing more closely on mobile displays and developing new-generation IGZO displays. It now joins compatriots Sony and Panasonic in suffering heavy losses due to the highly competitive nature of the LCD TV and display market.
Smartphones have broken the reign of the traditional Japanese cellphone for the first time, comScore found late Monday. As of February, smartphones were overall more popular than keitais, the often feature-heavy but complicated basic phones that have dominated Japanese use for more than a decade. Local brands like Sharp still led at 23.5 percent, but they were either flat or down slightly as frequently foreign smartphone brands took hold.
Pixel Qi founder Mary Lou Jepsen has revealed that her company is working on a super-dense version of its signature display. The panel would have the same 2048x1536 resolution as the new iPad, but at much lower power than Apple's technology. Even in a bright office, the new panel at about 10 inches in size uses two watts, versus five for the iPad in the same lighting and nearly eight when it's outdoors.
Apple's next iPhone might drop the traditional glass-on-glass approach to touchscreens if one rumor proves true. Part suppliers claimed to Digitimes that Sharp and Toshiba Mobile Display were "likely" producing in-cell touch panels now that yield rates were good enough for the two to participate. The two would start production of in-cell panels sometime during the spring, although it wasn't clear if that schedule would include Apple.
Sharp has announced the development of a new, 20.2 million-pixel CCD image sensor for compact digital cameras. The 1/2.3-inch sensor will have the highest pixel count of all the 1/2.3-inch CCD image sensors that use an interline transfer method and are designed for the small size.
On the heels of the news from last month that Foxconn had bought a 46.5 percent stake in Sharp's LCD business, analyst Brian White with Topeka Capital Markets say that Apple "debated" buying a share of Sharp itself. White says his information comes from a technology trade show he attended in China, and tells his investors that the story indicates that Sharp's IGZO technology has been deemed important for Apple's future plans.
Sharp stated Friday that it was producing the first-ever IGZO (indium gallium zinc oxide) LCDs. Its repurposed Kameyama plant is rolling out panels primarily for smartphones and tablets. As examples, it cited a seven-inch, 1280x800 display for tablets, a 10-inch 2560x1600 display, and a large 32-inch, 3840x2160 desktop display.
Japanese LCD panel maker Sharp revealed on Tuesday that it is negotiating with suppliers Toppan Printing and Dai Nippon Printing on the sale of new shares of its main LCD manufacturing plant in Sakai. Exactly how much money each will contribute and what their stake in the plant will be remains to be seen, however. Taiwan's Hon Hai has a majority 46.48 percent stake in the plant as of last month, which is said to be the country's most advanced LCD plant.
Sony and Sharp have announced that they have amended their partnership agreement for the joint venture known as Sharp Display Productions Corporation (SDP). Although the companies had been considering further investment, primarily involving new funds provided by Sony, the plans appear to have been put on hold amid uncertainty surrounding Sharp's operations.
Foxconn under its Hon Hai Group name and Sharp have together struck a deal that will primarily help Sharp improve its performance. Sharp will agree to use more third-party parts in its manufacturing in return for Foxconn taking a 46.5 percent stake in Sharp's Sakai, Japan LCD plant, equaling Sharp's stake after including an existing seven percent Sony involvement. Both companies would share research work and form a "global" alliance that would let Sharp use Foxconn's production.
Hulu has added Hulu Plus support for several new devices. The new components include select Toshiba 2012 Blu-ray players, Sharp 2012 TVs, and Best Buy’s Dynex Blu-ray players. Hulu confirmed that it hoped offer to its premium service through Apple TVs and Boxee Box systems "someday soon."
Sharp this week started shipping the two higher tiers of its 2012 Aquos TVs. Both the 7-series and 8-series both revolve around SmartCentral, a new UI intended to make Internet features more accessible, including both quick access to favorites and a filtered system that makes it easier to find Internet music, video, game, and social sources such as Netflix and Skype.
Sharp actually received verification to start producing third-gen iPad displays in February, claims research firm WitsView. The company is said to have produced 2.71 million panels, but this was allegedly well below Apple's expectations. Recent Wall Street Journal accounts have suggested that Sharp didn't get any displays into the first wave of iPads.
Sharp is still trying to ramp up production of iPad displays, and is expecting to ship them "as soon as possible," according to sources for the Wall Street Journal. One of the sources elaborates that the first batch of third-generation iPads -- which shipped on Friday -- don't use Sharp LCDs, because the company had trouble customizing screens to meet Apple demands. The claim echoes one reported by the Journal just last week.
Sharp's apparent absence from new iPad LCD production was out of a delay, not an outright rejection, an insider claimed Wednesday. It was to contribute starting in late December, according to the Wall Street Journal, but it had problems tailoring the screens to make sure they fit. New shipments could start as soon as March.
A new leak on Wednesday has countered claims that Samsung might be exclusive as Apple's supplier for the new iPad's display. The Reuters contact understood that LG Display was "also in a panel supply deal" for the 2048x1536 LCD. No mention was made of Sharp, which has been mentioned as possibly left out after not being ready for Apple's goals.
Samsung is currently the only display supplier for the third-generation iPad, claims Vinita Jakhanwal, a senior manager with research firm IHS iSuppli. Two other companies in the running, Sharp and LG Display, allegedly failed to meet Apple's quality requirements. "The display specifications on the new iPad are very demanding in terms of the very high resolution," says Jakhanwal. "Achieving this high resolution without compromising on the power consumption and brightness and maintaining Apple’s quality standards are supposedly proving to be a challenge for LG Display and Sharp."
Apple could start commercial production of a TV set in May or June, likely building somewhere between 2 to 5 million units, says Jeffries & Co. analyst Peter Misek. The claim is based on a recent trip to Asia. "We believe specialty components have begun to ship to Apple’s Asia panel suppliers with polarized films, filters, and [Sharp] IGZO components starting to move in small quantities," he writes. As before, a fourth-quarter launch is anticipated.
Apple now has the top-selling cellphone of any kind in Japan, IDC Japan determined late Thursday. The iPhone 4S launch helped Apple claim 26.6 percent of all cellphone shipments in the country this fall. It may have been the first non-Japanese company to top local ranks, ending a longstanding emphasis on local makers.
Apple is operating relatively loosely with how it defines the term "Retina Display" for the new iPad, argues NPD DisplaySearch. The research firm notes, for example, that the iPad's 264ppi pixel density is substantially less than the 326ppi on the iPhone 4. "But since 'retina display' is a marketing term with no specific definition, Apple is able to use it how it wants," NPD writes.
Revived rumors have suggested the iPad 3 may face display-related shortages. The Digitimes part supplier contacts claimed that LG Display, Samsung, and Sharp had "failed to substantially ramp up" production of the 2048x1536 display in the run-up to the March 7 event. Shipments would only truly accelerate in the spring, according to this view of events.
Samsung on Monday confirmed rumors it was spinning out its LCD business. The group, to be renamed Samsung Display, would separate from its parent on April 1 pending approval. It would start off with $667.3 million of working capital.
Apple's much-rumored TV set might have had one of its first non-obvious part suppliers named through new tips. Contacts claimed to Digitimes that Genesis Photonics was expected to supply the LED backlighting circuitry for a Sharp-made panel. The Japanese company is believed to have switched some of its ordering from local firm Nichia to Taiwan's Genesis as far back as the first half of 2011, making Genesis' contribution to Apple more likely.
Japanese carrier NTT DoCoMo has dated two new portable Android devices that are also waterproof. The Sharp Aquos SH-06D phone has already been seen before, and despite being promised to launch at the start of December, still hasn't surfaced. The other new device is the seven-inch NEC Medias Tab N-06D, which shares the handset's dual-core 1.2GHz processor.
A mix of suppliers and unnamed Korean press mentions have claimed that Apple is planning a dramatic increase in iPad shipments for 2012. Shipments for the new LCD panel, believed designed by Sharp but being manufactured by LG Display and Samsung, were said by the Commercial Times to be already booked to the order of 65 million to 75 million units for the year. Versus production of about 40.5 million in 2011, it would represent 60 to 73 percent higher shipments than last year.
A rare instance of investigation of leaked parts may have supported many of the rumors surrounding the iPad 3. Repair shop iLab Factory has combined both a rear shell and a new Sharp LCD and found that the display connector and screw holes for the back were meant to link up to Sharp's new screen. The same look also verified the deeper well for the rear camera and a different mount that wouldn't work with existing parts on the iPad 2.
A parts reseller, Eye Lab Factory, has managed to obtain what could be a display panel for the iPad 3, says Macotakara. The part measures about 9.7 inches, and uses a flat cable similar to that connecting the iPad 2's display. It also reportedly supports resolutions up to 2048x1536, the level most commonly anticipated for the iPad 3.
Panasonic compounded the troubles at Japanese electronics firms on Friday after it anticipated a steep $10.2 billion yearly loss for its fiscal 2011, which ends in March. The record drop was blamed near exclusively on the costs of buying Sanyo and its Electric division, including reorganization and write-offs. President Fumio Ohtsubo apologized, but promised corporate reform that could produce a "V-shaped" turnaround in performance.
Speculation that Apple might ship its own TV set as soon as the spring was cast into doubt by an unusual counter-rumor late Thursday. Supposed industry contacts told Digitimes that there weren't any signs Sharp was ready to ship the IGZO displays many believe Apple would be using for the device. Yields of workable displays were also considered a possible problem.
For the second time in a year, Sharp has announced that it will be cutting production of LCDs screens in its Sakai City (Osaka) Japan production facility. Nikkei is reporting [subscription required] that the company plans to reduce its output by one-half. Sharp will continue pushing out the screens at these levels for at least one month, and possibly longer.
KDDI and Okinawa Cellular have announced a new series of designer phones for the Japanese market. The Infobar C02, manufactured by Sharp, comes in three distinct color schemes and incorporates a numeric pad with over-sized keys. The display is an unusually tall, 3.2-inch, 480x854 LCD.
Sharp has unveiled a slew of new devices this week ahead of CES in Las Vegas. The product lineup includes a projector, 20- to 85-inch Aquos televisions and connected services, Blu-ray players, sound bars, shelf speaker systems, and several solar charging products for home installations.
Sprint waited until Sunday to give LightSquared a 30-day extension on the FCC approval it needs to implement the LightSquared deal. Waiting until the day after the deadline expired, Sprint now gave the 4G provider until late January to overcome GPS interference claims. It's not clear LightSquared will necessarily make the deadline given a lack of firm updates.
Apple's rumored 2048x1536 display for the iPad 3 may have been leaked out for the first time in a forum posting on Korea's Naver. The panel is the same physical size as the existing iPad 2 display but has a third data connector, presumably to feed the four times higher resolution. A Korean appearance points to it likely coming from an LG Display or Samsung Mobile Display factory.
The Sharp IGZO displays Apple is rumored to be using for the iPad 3 might still be in short supply. Rumors late Thursday from Digitimes had Taiwan supplier sources saying they could technically make the advanced displays, but that the useful production yields were still a "major concern." The claims echoed views that Sharp was shifting TV production to tablets to help meet targets.
Two new rumors have suggested a major break for Apple's iPad 3 strategy if at all accurate. Tipsters for Digitimes ruled out the 7.85-inch mini iPad and instead pointed to two iPad 3 models: both would have the widely rumored 2048x1536, Sharp-made displays with dual-LED backlights. They would also have quad-core A6 processors and, supposedly, five- and eight-megapixel cameras made by Samsung and Sony respectively.
Seven LCD panel makers, including Samsung, Sharp, and Chimei Innolux, have reached accords to settle claims that they conspired to limit competition and fix prices for their displays used in laptops, monitors and TVs. If approved, the proposed $539 million settlement will resolve several cases pending in the US district court in San Francisco, and affect buyers as indirect victims. Earlier this month, another settlement for $388 million was reached in the same court with "direct" purchasers of the panels, who then put these panels into their own products.
Apple's proper TV set may enter the earliest production phases early next year. Rumors floated Tuesday by Digitimes had the supply chain for the "iTV" producing individual parts before the end of March. The aim was to ship the TV in spring or summer, the sources said, giving Apple a wide berth.
New details have suggested that LightSquared might run out of money by mid-2012. A copy of the 4G provider's financial statement obtained by Reuters showed that it was worried it couldn't stay a "going concern" past the spring without extra finances. LightSquared has lost $427 million so far this year
Samsung and Sharp have both managed to buck downward trends in flat-panel TV sales thanks a surge in demand in the US. Samsung, the world’s leading TV manufacturer revealed that its TV sales reached a record 5.7 million units sold in November. Meanwhile, Sharp says it expects to reach sales of over 1 million large-screen TVs in the year to March 31, in the 60-inches or above category.
Sharp, Samsung, and six others making LCD panels used in computers and TVs have agreed to settle several class action suits alleging price fixing. The vendors will pay a total of $388 million to resolve eight separate cases before a Northern District of California District Court judge in San Francisco. As part of the deal, all the companies avoid having to admit any wrongdoing.
Sharp has introduced a new smartphone camera sensor, which it claims to be the industry's thinnest CMOS component to offer optical image stabilization. The module features backside illumination to improve low-light performance, with an f/2.5 aperture and autofocus capabilities, all packed into a module that measures just 5.47mm thick.
Talk of four-inch iOS devices gained incidental support through a rumor emerging Saturday. Contradicting talk of LG, Samsung, and Sharp being involved, Macotakara claimed that two of the three companies forming the Japan Display alliance, Hitachi and Sony, were already producing both iPad 3 LCDs and four-inch LCDs for a "new iOS device." The unnamed Asian contact didn't mention what device it was for, or whether this was full-scale production.
Repeated talk of Sharp making iPad 3 LCDs was backed up by leaks on Friday. The tip to the Wall Street Journal supported talk that Sharp's repurposed TV plant in Kameyama was switching over at least partly to handle Apple's demands. Possibly confirming Apple's mysterious major investment, they said that Apple itself had paid to help get the manufacturing started.
Japenese provider NTT DoCoMo has just officially announced that the Sharp SH-01D will ship on December 2. The Android 2.3-powered smartphone is waterproof and gets a 4.5-inch LCD with a 720x1280 resolution. The Aquos-branded screen uses a parallax barrier design for glasses-free 3D images.
(Updated with info on Apple investment in Sharp) Apple is forecast to begin commercial production of a TV set in February, at a Sharp plant in Japan, according to Jefferies analyst Peter Misek. In particular Apple is said to be partnering with Sharp for LCDs, and starting production at the latter company's Gen 10 Sakai plant in Osaka. The TV is said to be in position for a mid-2012 launch.
