Rumor: iPhone 5 may use curved glass screen
Apple will reportedly outfit the iPhone 5 with a curved glass display, same as the one seen on the iPod Nano 4G, according to unnamed sources cited by DigiTimes.
The latest news to hit the iPhone 5 rumor mill is that Apple's next smartphone may sport a curved glass screen, similar to the one found on the iPod Nano 4G.
This latest report comes from Taiwan's DigiTimes. Citing industry sources, DigiTimes reported today that Apple has bought 200 or 300 glass-cutting machines to be used by glass makers, who are apparently hesitant to invest in the expensive equipment on their own.
To no surprise, no time frame has been released yet as to when the iPhone 5 may ramp up production, as DigiTimes says that Apple is still working with suppliers of the glass cover, glass cutting, lamination, and touch sensors to make sure everything works together.
If the rumors are true, the iPhone 5 would follow in the footsteps of Samsung's Nexus S, which was the first smartphone to offer a "Contour Display," as the company calls it. The idea behind using a curved display is to create a device that fits more comfortably in your palm. CNET found the contour display in the Nexus S gimmicky. However, the iPhone would not necessarily adopt the same design found in the Nexus S.
Tech enthusiast sites such as MacRumors have raised some skepticism over the DigiTimes report, citing other claims that the iPhone 5 would use the same form factor as the iPhone 4, with just a few tweaks, and may even be dubbed the iPhone 4S.
However, one commenter at MacRumors dubbed AppleScruff1 may have just come up with the best design idea yet, suggesting that Apple make the iPhone 5 round like a rubber ball. That way if you drop it, it won't break and will just bounce back up into your hand.