Foxconn plans to build five additional factories in Brazil to produce liquid crystal displays for future Apple products. The plan was announced by the Secretary of Planning and Development for the State of São Paulo, Julio Semeghini, and reported by Brazilian news outlet, Folha. The five factories are in addition to the one already believed to producing iPads and iPhones, and each is reportedly set to employ roughly 1,000 workers. In addition to building Apple products, the factories will also manufacture notebooks, batteries and general electronics products. Officials from both Foxconn and the Brazilian government are said to be meeting to finalize the agreement soon, which São Paulo and neighboring states are rallying for. “We are awaiting the return of the executives of the Chinese New Year celebrations for taking up the negotiations,” said Semeghini.

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Apple has reportedly already started production of its next-generation iPad 3 tablet. Bloomberg broke the news on Twitter on Friday afternoon, though it did not immediately provide any further details. The iPad 3 is expected to feature a slightly thicker case, twice the battery life of the current iPad 2 model, and a 1,536 x 2,048-pixel HD display. The most recent rumors have suggested that Apple will release the new tablet in March.

UPDATE: Bloomberg flushed out its preliminary report, claiming that the iPad 3 will support 4G LTE. The site also claims to have confirmed that the new iPad will feature a new HD display and a faster quad-core processor, in line with numerous earlier reports. Factories are also said to be running 24 hours a day in an effort to create as much stock as possible before launch.

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We just met with Corning during CES in Las Vegas to check out its new Gorilla Glass 2 panels for smartphones and tablets. The new glass is 20% thinner than before, but just as strong and scratch resistant as the original Gorilla Glass. The thinner build will surely help manufacturers make smaller and lighter smartphones. We stayed to watch a pressure test, images of which are in the gallery below, and were impressed with the strength of the glass. Corning said that it’s already shipping the new panels to phone manufacturers and that we will see smartphones on the market soon with the new glass. We were also told that Gorilla Glass 2 will be used in new Windows-powered computers later this year. Be sure to check out our gallery below.

Apple may currently be prepping a huge display upgrade for its MacBook Pro line of notebook computers that would be on par with the bump from its iPhone 3GS display to the Retina Display on the iPhone 4. Citing sources from within Apple’s component supplier chain, DigiTimes on Wednesday reported that Apple will add new display panels to its MacBook Pro laptops in 2012 that pack a resolution of 2,880 x 1,800 pixels. The new displays would quadruple the resolution of the current 1,440 x 900-pixel screen on the 15-inch MacBook Pro, just as the 960 x 640-pixel Retina Display on the iPhone 4 quadrupled the iPhone 3GS’s 480 x 320-pixel panel. The report notes that both Acer and ASUS are planning high-end ultrabooks with upgraded 1920 x 1080-pixel displays next year as well, up from the 1,366 x 768-pixel displays used on early ultrabook models.

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LG officially announced the Optimus LTE on Tuesday. The phone will make its debut in South Korea and offers a large 4.5-inch display with a “True HD IPS Display” that has an incredibly sharp 1280 x 720-pixel resolution. It is also loaded with 20GB of storage, a dual-core processor clocked at 1.5GHz, 1GB of RAM, an 8-megapixel camera, a front-facing 1.3-megapixel camera for video chat and a 1,830 mAh battery. The Optimus LTE runs Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) and is available in black. “Our goal is to be a leading player in LTE devices by continuously offering best-in-class products based on our LTE patents and knowhow,” LG CEO and President Dr. Jong-seok Park said. Read on for the full press release. 

LG LAUNCHES OPTIMUS LTE, FIRST 4G HD SMARTPHONE IN KOREAN MARKET

SEOUL, Oct. 4, 2011 – LG Electronics (LG) today announced the Korean market
launch of LG Optimus LTE, the first mobile device in the country to offer 4G
connectivity with the highest resolution IPS display available on a smartphone.
Developed in close collaboration with sister company LG Display, Optimus LTE
features a striking 4.5–inch “True HD IPS” display which offers advanced resolution,
brightness and clarity and shows colors in their most natural tones, as they were meant
to be seen.

Optimus LTE also delivers enhanced performance with 1.5 GHz dual-core processor,
running on the Android 2.3 Gingerbread OS platform. With a large 1,830 mAh battery,
Optimus LTE is perfectly suited for multimedia usage. In addition, the device enables
content sharing seamlessly through HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface) and
DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance).

“LG Optimus LTE is the first smartphone in Korea to offer vivid and clear HD content
on a 4G network,” said Dr. Jong-seok Park, President and CEO of LG Electronics
Mobile Communications Company. “Our goal is to be a leading player in LTE devices
by continuously offering best-in-class products based on our LTE patents and knowhow.”
According to a recent report by Jefferies & Company, LG was listed as the global leader
in LTE patents with ownership of 23 percent of approximately 1,400 LTE patents filed
worldwide, with a financial value of almost USD 8 billion. LG demonstrated the
world’s first LTE technology in 2007 and developed the world’s first LTE modem
chipset in 2008. LG introduced the world’s fastest LTE technology in 2010 and

LG-SU640 / LU6200 SPECIFICATIONS

Network LTE & HSPA+(SKT) / Rev.A (LGU+)
Chipset 1.5GHz Dual-Core
Memory
20GB (Internal 4GB, Micro SD 16GB),
1GB RAM
Micro SD (up to 32GB)
Display
4.5 inches True HD IPS Display (1280 x 720)
Camera (Main / Front) 8.0 MP AF with LED flash / 1.3 MP
SW Spec (OS) Android 2.3 Gingerbread

Features

Battery 1830 mAh
Connectivity HDMI, DLNA, Wi-Fi Direct
Multimedia TDMB
Size Width x Height x Thickness 132.9 x 67.9 x 10.4 mm
Weight 135g
Color Black

Apple and other manufacturers may introduce new products with curved touchscreen displays next year, DigiTimes reported on Monday. Apple has reportedly contacted its iPad and iPhone glass suppliers, Lens Technology, G-Tech and Fuji Crystal, and will supply them with equipment for polishing glass. Curved glass displays are not typically used on smartphones, although Google and Samsung did equip the Nexus S with a concave screen and it was noticeably more comfortable during phone calls. The curves also protect the screen from scratches when a phone or tablet placed face-down on a surface. Dell also went with a curved display on its Venue Pro Windows Phone, though it opted for a concave curvature. Corning, which provides scratch-resistant screens for a number of smartphones, has already developed a curved version of its popular Gorilla Glass, but it is unclear if that screen will be used on future Apple products.

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A defect found in some iPhone 5 display panels may result in short supply next month, suggesting that Apple’s iPhone launch may once again be marred by angry customers unable to get their hands on Apple’s latest and greatest. DigiTimes reported on Friday that Apple display supplier Wintek has identified a defect called a “delayed bubble” in some display panels may affect its ability to meet Apple’s supply demands. Read on for more.

The defect described involves a bubble that appears between the panel and the lamination layer only after the displays are sent out for assembly. Wintek would not confirm or deny the report when contacted by DigiTimes for comment, though it did state that all of its products are being delivered on schedule. According to the report, Apple’s fourth-quarter shipment goal for the iPhone 5 is in the 25-26 million unit range. Wintek is estimated to be supplying between 20% and 25% of the display panels used in Apple’s iPhone 5.

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In early August, we reported that Apple started boosting its iPad 2 display panel orders with Samsung after LG’s panels failed to meet the iPad maker’s quality requirements. DigiTimes said on Friday that LG has addressed the quality issues and has now boosted its shipments back to their original levels. The South Korea-based company reportedly shipped 4 million 9.7-inch iPad 2 panels during the month of August, up from the 2.4-2.5 million it shipped in July, and it is expected to maintain its current volume through September. Taiwan Economic News said Foxconn-owner Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. has boosted its projected iPad 2 shipments for the third quarter to 20 million units, although DigiTimes said Apple is expected to ship 12-15 million iPad 2 devices.

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The iPhone 5 display will be no larger than 4-inches according to panel suppliers speaking to DigiTimes, which also revealed that Apple will ditch the current glass case on the iPhone 4 for a metal-backed chassis on the next-generation iPhone 5. The iPhone 5 display is expected to be between 3.5 and 3.7 inches and the latest rumor is in line with earlier reports that suggested the phone will be thinner and lighter than the current iPhone 4. The iPhone 5 is also expected to offer an 8-megapixel camera. BGR recently reported that AT&T will launch the iPhone 5 in October according to statements made by a vice president with the carrier.

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Apple will turn to Samsung and Chimei Innolux to supply display panels for its iPad 2 after LG’s panels failed to meet Apple’s quality requirements. The quality issues with LG’s displays forced the company to miss its July monthly shipment goal by 1 million units, DigiTimes said. Reportedly, LG’s LCD backlight units failed during Apple’s drop tests. LG had hoped to ship 4 million LCD units per month during the third quarter, but only shipped an estimated 2.5-2.6 million units in July. Samsung, by comparison, provided the Cupertino-based firm with two million displays, or twice its monthly average. Chimei Innolux shipped 450,000 units during the month and the company has a new monthly shipment goal of 1 million – 1.5 million units. Despite quality issues, LG is expected to remain the top supplier of LCD displays, and rumor has it the Korea-based company is also working on new Retina screens for the next-generation iPad.

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Samsung has reportedly started to build a new high resolution version of its 7-inch Super AMOLED prototype displays. According to the Korean website etnews, Samsung is upping the resolution to 1024 x 768 pixels and will begin production of the new displays “soon.” Additionally, the sequel to the original 7-inch Galaxy Tab could land in North America as soon as this September, when it is largely expected that Apple will take the wraps off of its new iPad and iPhone products. We are definitely excited about redesigned Galaxy Tab with a Super AMOLED screen, we just hope Samsung packs it with Android Gingerbread this time around. Thankfully it sounds like we won’t have that long to wait until we find out.

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It could very well be that Android’s best hope for a competitive tablet offering in the near term lies in Amazon’s hands. Retrevo Labs, a division of consumer electronics shopping site Retrevo, surveyed more than 1,000 U.S. consumers in June to find out what people are looking for in a tablet. While 50% of those surveyed who intended to purchase a tablet this year said it would be an iPad, Retrevo determined that the most important feature to prospective tablet buyers is a low price point. Considering the unlikelihood of Apple budging when it comes to price, Android tablets have a clear opportunity to attack the market at more affordable price points. Among those brands that respondents would seriously consider buying a tablet from excluding Apple, Amazon was given the nod by 55% of those surveyed, followed by Samsung and Dell at 38% each. BGR reported exclusively that Amazon is working on two tablets it hopes to launch in 2011, a dual-core slate codenamed “Coyote” and a quad-core beast codenamed “Hollywood.” And as we discussed in a recent podcast, we think Amazon has the best chance to make some serious waves in the still-emerging tablet space. Amazon has several content ecosystems that will be at the core of its tablet offering such as the Kindle eBook store, a streaming movie service, its cloud locker service for streaming music and, of course, the Amazon Appstore. If deeply integrated into a customized Android build, these content channels could combine to produce a rich, comprehensive tablet experience. Additional graphs from Retrevo’s study follow below.

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According to research firm DisplaySearch, revenues from touchscreen modules will hit $13.4 billion this year. Projected capacitive screens have seen the largest growth since Apple made them popular on the iPhone in 2007, and DisplaySearch expects capacitive displays to account for 70% of all touchscreen revenues this year. Capacitive display shipments are also expected to jump more than 100% year-over-year. The company said the greatest display growth was in the tablet PC industry, where 26 million touchscreen modules were shipped last year. That figure is expected to jump to 72 million units this year and to more than 100 million units in 2012. ”Touch screen penetration has rapidly increased in mobile phones, handheld games, game consoles, and tablet PC applications, which collectively will account for more than $10.5 billion in touch screen revenues this year,” said Jennifer Colegrove, PhD, vice president of emerging display technologies at DisplaySearch. “In addition, we see strong touchscreen growth over the next several years driven by demand in larger display applications such as all-in-one PCs, notebooks PCs, and consumer gaming.” Read on for the full press release.

Touch Panel Demand Soars; 2011 Revenues to Grow by 90% Y/Y

Growth in Mobile Phones, Tablet PCs, and Portable Gaming Driving the Industry, as Capacitive Overtakes Resistive in Revenues

Santa Clara, CALIF., July 12, 2011—In the recently released Touch Panel Market Analysis, DisplaySearch reported that total touch screen module revenue will reach $13.4 billion in 2011, and nearly double in six years, reaching $23.9 billion by 2017.

“Touch screen penetration has rapidly increased in mobile phones, handheld games, game consoles, and tablet PC applications, which collectively will account for more than $10.5 billion in touch screen revenues this year,” noted Jennifer Colegrove, PhD, Vice President of Emerging Display Technologies at DisplaySearch.“In addition, we see strong touch screen growth over the next several years driven by demand in larger display applications such as all-in-one PCs, notebook PCs, and consumer gaming.”

Projected Capacitive Increasingly Becoming the Dominant Touch Technology

As DisplaySearch previously forecasted, projected capacitive became the leading touch screen technology in terms of revenue in 2010. Projected capacitive growth has been explosive since being popularized by Apple in 2007, and many tablet PCs manufacturers have adopted it. In 2011, projected capacitive shipments are expected to grow by more than 100% Y/Y, and will account for 70% of all touch screen revenues. In addition to dedicated touch screen suppliers moving into projected capacitive, several color filter suppliers and LCD manufacturers have converted lines to produce it. In fact, over 60 companies are supplying projected capacitive in 2011.

Shipments for in-cell touch, which first came to market in 2009, didn’t materialize in 2010. However, in-cell touch is expected to take off in 2012 as yield rates improve. On-cell touch, meanwhile, has seen greater adoption, but the mix has shifted to smaller screen sizes used in mobile phones and digital still cameras, whereas it has had difficulty competing with projected capacitive in tablet PC applications. Other touch technologies are experiencing market growth, such as combination-type touch panels which offer both pen and finger touch.

Mobile Phone Still the Leading Application, Tablet PCs Gaining Share in 2011

Mobile phones are the major application for touch screens in terms of unit shipments, accounting for two-thirds of units shipped in 2010. DisplaySearch forecasts that 868 million touch screens will ship for mobile phone applications in 2011, up 68% Y/Y.

The tablet PC represents a fast-growing application for touch screens, accounting for 26 million units in 2010. Growth continues to be strong, with DisplaySearch forecasting over 72 million touch screens for tablet PCs in 2011, and over 100 million in 2012. Revenues for projected capacitive touch screens in tablet PCs are expected to grow by more than $1 billion in 2011.

Touch penetration is increasing in consumer gaming devices, including consoles such as Microsoft Kinect, as well as handheld games such as the Nintendo 3DS. Over the next few years, notebook and all-in-one PCs as well as automobile monitors are expected to contribute to touch screen market growth as well. Touch technologies with high transmittance, low power consumption, multi-touch or gesture recognition will benefit the most.

The DisplaySearch Touch Panel Market Analysis report is a comprehensive analysis of the touch panel technologies and their market forecasts through 2017. This report has a detailed breakdown of 22 applications (with tablet PCs application) with 11 touch technology categories and nine size categories. It also has details on touch controller ICs, the sensor market, and an area and multi-touch forecast through 2017.

DisplaySearch surveyed over 190 suppliers of touch screen modules, controller ICs, ITO film, and other components to produce the 2011 Touch Panel Market Analysis report. These firms are profiled in the report, along with 2010 history, shipments, and revenues for over 100 touch screen suppliers.

Apple could cut Samsung from its list of part suppliers, an arrangement that is worth as much as $5 billion for Samsung, one analyst has suggested. “They have become more competitors and less partners and so I think Apple will definitely not be looking to Samsung as its go-to partner-of-choice for NAND flash,” Brian Marshall, a Gleacher & Co. analyst told The Globe and Mail. Apple could instead choose to get its NAND flash products from other companies, such as Hynix Semiconductor, Micron, and Toshiba. Similarly, if Apple were to bail on Samsung as a parts provider, the iPhone maker could look to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp (TSMC) or Intel for processors, but it would also need to find another provider for LCDs. Samsung and Apple have been locked in multiple legal battles since Apple accused Samsung of creating “copycat” devices and sought to block the import of its products in the United States.

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Over the weekend, the hacking group LulzSec announced that after 50 days of hacking targets such as Sony and the U.S. government, it was stopping its operations. As a parting gift, the group leaked a number of internal AT&T documents, including the above image that suggests AT&T will test a 4G LTE version of its iPad between November and December of this year. That’s in line with earlier suggestions from research firm CLSA, which said earlier this month that Apple would launch a new 4G LTE capable iPad in time for the holidays — though it certainly wouldn’t leave much margin for error if the tests don’t go according to plan. Other rumors suggest the iPad 3 won’t launch until sometime in 2012, and the timing dictated by this document would make that scenario much more likely.

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