Apple is making the new iPhone thinner than previous models and part of this is done, according to rumors, thanks to a slimmer touch screen technology. A new Apple patent has arisen to describe how such a screen world work.
Apple Insider found the patent filing, which describes different ways the top, glass layer of the touch screen can be removed from the design. By combining the liquid crystal and touch sensing elements into a single structure – known as in-cell technology – it allows the screen to eliminate redundant structures and/or find dual purposes for particular layers of the structure.
One particular section talks about how this in-cell technology can be combined with the in-plane-switching (ISP) panels used in the iPhone 4S. The same electrodes used for display control and touch sensing. This can result in a higher touch resolution for little to no additional cost or a number of touch pixels can be put together to create a combined touch signal, though with a loser resolution.
While we can’t determine if the technology will be utilized in the iPhone 5, it certainly seems plausible with the aforementioned patent describing the screen technology which have been speculated about.
