Hasta La Gadget!

A report from China today suggests that suppliers behind the production of the new iPhone – or iPhone 5, if you prefer, are finding manufacturing numbers to be a bit lower than planned due to shortage of materials. This report comes from DigiTimes, a publication that has a mixed record for accuracy, but has produced early Asia-based supply news well in advance of official Apple sources in the past. Numbers of iPhone 5 shipments are said to be hitting below 15 million this season where Apple had requested that they be in excess of 20 million for the holiday months.

This first batch of iPhones will be limited in supply but will ramp up in the first several months of 2013, fully prepared for the inevitable rush of post-Christmas shoppers. Shipment numbers are said to be tied directly to the manufacturing of in-cell technology for integrated LCD and touchscreen hardware as detailed earlier today by LG. While the report by LG does not mention specifically that supplies are low (or will be low,) they do speak on how it has been difficult to get to the point they’re at now where production can move forward at full speed.

An in-cell technology patent was passed just weeks ago for Apple for their future devices, the iPhone and quite possibly future iPad models as well. Apple originally set the patent application in motion in 2007 before the manufacturing of said technology was possible, with manufacturers just catching up with the futuristic method for parts integration here in 2012.

Supply numbers come from Foxconn International Holdings (FIH) and also have been tied to low numbers of parts available for the production of a new mini dock connector at the bottom of the new iPhone. This mini dock connector is said – and has been shown – to have two identical sides with a total of 16 pins rather than the 30 of past iPod, iPad, and iPhone models. Have a peek at our iPhone 5 portal for more information on this future generation of Apple products, and hit the timeline below for key iPhone 5 points as well!

iPhone 5 dock and display production cuts early supply is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Late yesterday, a new video hit the Internet that showed off the iPhone 4S’ parts being compared to alleged iPhone 5 components, where it highlighted the alleged changes that Apple made concerning the flex cables and screen size. I am not quite sure what to make of the video myself, why not you take a look at it and draw your own conclusion? Basically, anything seems to be hot for iPhone 5 rumors at this point in time, considering how there was also the rumored iPhone 5 release date. Throw anything with the word ‘iPhone’ into the Internet between now and September, and chances are it will come back at you as a rumor of sorts.

Still, the video from repair company SmartPhone Medic gives a close up look at the alleged parts, and if component porn is your cup of tea, you might want to sit through the entire video and watch it over, and over, and over again. I’d take this video with a grain of salt though.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: New iPhone USB cable with smaller dock connector leaked?, iPhone 5 gets September 21 launch date? ,

I guess with the number of rumors that have circulated concerning the new iPhone which has been deemed to arrive this coming September, it would not hurt at all to have yet another rumor hit the news wires, right? We are talking about a redesigned dock connector that comes in a smaller form factor, and the image above was a photo which circulated on Twitter courtesy of a certain Jack Yao who happens to work at China-based accessory vendor Veister. This particular cable that you see does seem to rely on the alleged port, and there is not much you can view to help you tell the difference between it and an official Apple product, although we are not ruling out the fact that this could very well be a third-party replacement.

The alleged iPhone USB cable does ship with its fair share of FTC markings, resembling a scannable QR code of sorts on the standard USB end. At the other side of the spectrum, we are looking at the smaller dock connector lining up with previous rumors, but we will just have to wait until the official iPhone 5 or new iPhone is released to confirm anything.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Alleged iPhone 5 parts shown off in video, compared to iPhone 4S, First pictures of iPhone 5 display (Rumor),

Looks like we’ll be finding in-cell touch displays in our devices sooner rather than later: LG Display has confirmed that it’s been mass-producing the thinner LCDs since earlier in August. CEO Han Sang-beom also notes that manufacturing has been going as smooth as, well, glass. Despite the complexity of building touch input directly into a display, the company expects to keep the supply going “without any fail,” according to the executive. As to who’s making the orders? LG Display isn’t naming its customers on the record, and production could be as much for its sister company’s phones and tablets as anyone else’s. It’s hard not to pinpoint Apple as the 800-pound gorilla in the room, however. Apart from Apple representing one of LG Display’s biggest existing customers, multiple rumors and component leaks point to an iPhone with an in-cell display being in the works. The timing raises a distinct possibility that we’ll know more about the screen manufacturer’s clients in less than a month.

Filed under: Cellphones, Displays

LG Display starts volume production of in-cell touch screens, we have a hunch as to who wants them originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Aug 2012 23:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The next generation in Apple USB connector cables has appeared in a relatively clear photo presented to the world hoping for every detail they can get on the iPhone 5 – another piece of Apple hardware that’s not yet even been announced by the manufacturer. Rumors up to this point have converged on a new dock connector for the new iPhone, a newly improved iPad 3, and an iPad mini, each of them with the same port for a 16-pin cord. This cord appears to have two sides, each of them with 8 pins that are able to face upwards or downwards interchangeably.

The photo appears to show a scannable code for the USB connector end of the cord and a brand new (familiar) connector on its opposite end. This cord doesn’t appear to be a standard length, strangely enough, or it certainly doesn’t seem to match the length of the cords currently appearing in iPhone and iPad boxes in stores at this moment. Because of this, we’re going to go ahead and guess that this is a 3rd party component cord leaked from a manufacturer who has Apple’s plans well in advance of the final reveal.

Apple’s 30-pin connector is not restricted to construction by Apple alone at the moment, appearing in connection kits of all kinds across the Apple-loving accessory spectrum. You’re currently able to head out to your local department store and pick up a wide variety of 3rd party iPhone, iPad, and iPod connection cords, so a future cord made by a group other than Apple is certainly within the realm of possibility.

This cord’s abilities are as unconfirmed as the technology is in and of itself, but tips and rumors are abundant. What we’re assuming at the moment is that this cord will clip in to the device but with much less of a hard snap than the 30-pin connectors of the past. With this new technology presented by Apple, this cord will be much closer to the MagSave connectors currently working on the MacBook Pro – if you trip on the cord, it’ll pop out – that’s always been genius, and it’s high time Apple brought it in to their mobile device lineup.

Have a peek at our iPhone 5 portal for all the tips and rumors you could possibly want and head to the timeline below to see recent bits of news on the connector specifically – this one’s either one of the best hoaxes we’ve ever seen, or it’s verging on reality. Soon!

[via iLounge]

iPhone 5 mini dock USB cable photo leaked is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.