iPhone 5 Screen Tech is Thinner, Lighter & Easier to Read Outdoors

The iPhone 5 will sport a new screen, but it won’t just offer a larger place to watch videos and play games.

According to The Wall Street Journal, the iPhone 5 will feature a thinner display capable of producing better looking images. We first heard the rumor about In-Cell Touch displays for the iPhone 5 in April, and with additional sources backing it up, it could be true.

The article also seconded the start of iPhone 5 production in China, pointing to component production working quickly to build up stock of the harder to make in-cell touch displays.

Unlike traditional touch screens, in-cell touch displays integrates touch sensors into the LCD, allowing for a display about half a millimeter thinner. Apple can use this space for a larger battery, or to reduce the overall thickness of the iPhone 5. In-cell touch displays are also lighter.

In addition to building touch sensors into the display, the display would also deliver better looking images. DisplaySearch analyst Hiroshi Hayase tells The Wall Street Journal the “quality of displayed images would improve.”

Toshiba claims in-cell touch displays also improve using the display outdoors. According to PhoneMantra, Toshiba claims the reduction in layers cuts light reflected off the display by 10%.

According to product prototypes, in-cell touch displays don’t cut the accuracy of touch or the ability to support multitouch.

The new in-cell touch displays are said to be made by Japan Display, Sharp and LG, but prove much tougher to manufacture, which could slow production of the iPhone 5 or constrict launch day stock. Apple has not announced the iPhone 5, so it may also hold off until the production improves and significant stock is ont he assembly line before announcing the next generation iPhone.

iPhone 5 Rumors

Analysts and leaks point to a fall iPhone 5 release date. While some reports suggest an August launch it is much more likely that Apple will announce the iPhone 5 in late September with a mid-October release date.

This allows the early adopters to battler over limited release day stock and plenty of time to bring the iPhone 5 to all store shelves for the holiday shopping season.

Read: Should I Buy the iPhone 4S or Wait for the iPhone 5

The iPhone 5 is rumored to use a taller 4-inch display, one that according to this report will be thinner and of better quality.

The design of the iPhone 5 is not official, but leaked iPhone 5 engineering sample photos suggest that the back of the iPhone will use a two-tone metal and glass design. While slightly taller and slightly thinner, the new iPhone is not expected to be much wider than the iPhone 4S.

The new iPhone 5 rendering video provides a look at the rumored iPhone 5 features and design, including the smaller dock connector, metal back and speaker layout.

Though no official announcements have been made, this video shows a white iPhone 5 and a black iPhone 5, both of which we expect to see this fall.

iPhone 5 rumors point to a Quad-Core processor and 4G LTE connectivity with the possibility of NFC for sharing content or to use as a mobile wallet.