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WSJ: Sharp suffers iPhone 5 screen production delay as LG and Japan Display start shipping

WSJ: Sharp suffers iPhone 5 screen production delay as LG and Japan Display start shipping

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The Wall Street Journal reports that while LG and Japan Display have already begun shipping new iPhone screens to Apple, Sharp is yet to even start mass production.

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sharp displays

Sharp's president Takashi Okuda said that the company would be shipping displays bound for the new iPhone by the end of August, but that plan appears to have hit a bump. The Wall Street Journal reports that while LG and Japan Display have already begun shipping the new screens to Apple, Sharp is yet to even start mass production. Since Apple is using three suppliers this is unlikely to delay the iPhone itself, but it's possible that it could lead to supply problems upon release.

The screens reportedly use in-cell touch display technology to allow for a thinner profile, and the challenges involved in this new form of mass production are said to be significant. The Journal's sources don't know when Sharp will be able to begin producing the new screens, but it's another setback for the beleaguered Japanese firm following huge losses and job cuts.