Apple may be experimenting with curved screen displays after the launch of Samsung's Galaxy Round and LG G Flex smartphones in select markets this year.
Curved screens sound a bit gimmicky, but there's more to it than it sounds.
LG manufactured its displays allowing the screen to curve from top to bottom with a flexible OLED panel. LG stated that "by applying film-type encapsulation technology and attaching the protection film to the back of the panel, LG Display made the panel bendable and unbreakable."
For practical use, the phone will be nearly unbreakable, and customers will not experience cracked screens if they drop their smartphones (we all dropped it at least once!)
Rumors that Apple is experimenting with curved screens stemmed from a recent patent filed by the company for "a curved touch sensor" that covers displays, touch pads and touch mice.
There is speculation that for the first time Apple will be launching two new smartphones in 2014.
One would be an upgrade of its current iPhone 5S, the best-selling smartphone int the world, and the other would be a bigger phablet sized device.
Many customers have longed for iPhones with bigger displays, but the company has not produced anything beyond its standard 4-inch display. Many were left disappointed when there was no design overhaul of the iPhone 5S when it launched this fall. Many expected a bigger screen, and Apple is expected to come out with a bigger sized to compete with the likes of the popular Samsung Galaxy Note 3, which sold 10 million units in just two months of its launch.
Earlier this month, Apple also filed a patent for facial technology, which is expected to be added as another security measure for its devices.
The latest iPhone 5S already comes with a fingerprint sensor but the company is expected to take security steps further by adding on the facial technology, which detects and recognizes actual faces.
Along with rumors of a curved screen, Apple is also rumored to launch its next flagship phone(s) with a sapphire glass screen. Sapphire glass is already featured in the fingerprint sensor of the iPhone, and is very hardwearing. Stronger than concrete, the glass will be scratch-resistant and not break easily.
The Mirror reports that Apple has already spent $578 million to develop the iPhone 6. This is because the sapphire glass is more difficult to produce than the Corning Gorilla Glass that is currently used for the iPhone 5S. The funds are reportedly being used towards the development of furnaces that will produce the sapphire glass in large quantities.
The iPhone 6 is expected to release some time in 2014 and is speculated to pack a bigger 4.7 to 5.5 inch display with sapphire glass (or curved screen), Liquidmetal body, 4GB RAM, 64-bit A8 processor, dedicated M7 chip and 128 GB Storage.
