Edible Apple

Always looking to make their products lighter and more power efficient, AppleInsider points us to a new report from the Japanese-based Nikkan which relays that Apple recently struck a component deal with Sharp for displays to be used on the 6th generation iPhone.

Sharp has reportedly already begun preparing for the manufacturing cycle, set to begin in Spring of next year, at its Kameyama plant in Japan which is currently used to produce LCD displays HDTVs.

So what makes this next-gen display from Sharp so interesting to Apple?

Well, the display in question uses low temperature polycrystalline silicon technology which results in a thinner, lighter display while also consuming less power than the LCD displays currently employed on the iPhone. The silicon technology enables display drivers to be mounted right onto the glass, “shrinking the TFT section and allowing for a thinner LCD display.”

This technology has allowed companies to create “system on glass” devices, in which the optical sensors, signal processing circuits and other components are located directly on the glass substrate. This negates the need for additional components in a device like an iPhone, saving space within the device and even improving battery life with increased efficiency.

Other benefits to the display include more vivid pictures and a more robust shelf life.

While many companies continue to blindly focus on features, often at the expense of battery life, Apple has demonstrated a strong commitment to not only preserving battery life while adding new functionality, but often times improving it. Indeed, when the iPhone 4 was released last Summer, the uptick in battery life, even under heavy performance, blew reviewers and consumers away. Moreover, with rumors swirling that the next-gen iPhone will come with a larger screen, focusing on battery life becomes that much more imperative. The last thing Apple wants is a product like the HTC Evo, a device with a huge 4.3-inch display that drains the battery like nobody’s business.