Edible Apple

There’s been a lot of talk about what the iPhone 5 will feature. An edge to edge screen, perhaps. An 8 megapixel camera, maybe. By and large, most of the rumors we’ve heard about the iPhone 5 are merely reincarnations of previous reports.

But now, a sources in the supply chain in Taiwan has relayed to Digitimes a heretofore new and juicy iPhone 5 rumor. Rumor has it that the iPhone 5 will sport a curved glass cover. To help move things along, Apple  reportedly purchased 200-300 glass cutting machines because manufacturers have been reluctant to purchase the equipment due to the high costs involved.

“The glass slicing machines are currently being stored at associated assembly plants,” a source explained, “and will be brought online once yield rates for the production of curved glass reaches a satisfactory level.”

As has been reported previously, Apple will for the first time not be introducing a new iPhone model this Summer. Instead, rumors have hinted at a late Fall launch, with late September being eyed as the earliest possible date for a new iPhone release. As such, Apple is still working with an assortment of related suppliers such as those involved in glass cutting and lamination to help improve yield rates once manufacturing commences.

If the above pans out, the iPhone 5 wouldn’t be the first smartphone to hit the market with a curved screen. Google’s Nexus S, manufactured by Samsung, came with its own contoured 4-inch screen when it was released in December.

We should note in the interest of completeness, however, that a number of reports and purported iPhone 5 cases have all pointed to an iPhone 5 with the same form factor as the iPhone 4.