Thursday, September 13, 2012, 12:41 am

Sharp reportedly starts shipping iPhone 5 displays to Apple

By Mikey Campbell

After issues with production, Japanese electronics manufacturer Sharp has reportedly only now begun shipping displays bound for iPhone 5 assembly, with the news coming on the same day of the handset's unveiling.

Sharp was behind schedule when its president announced in early August that it would be shipping out the screens later that month, and an inside source claims the company started mass production earlier this week, reports The Wall Street Journal.

In late August, sources said the display maker was experiencing "manufacturing difficulties," though the exact nature of problem was not revealed.


The new iPhone 5 utilizes new in-cell technology which integrates a screen's touch sensors within the LCD array.

Augmented by Sharp's shipments, Apple should be in a better position to supply what is expected to be strong demand for the iPhone 5. The Japanese company joins LG Display and the newly-formed Japan Display Inc., a venture from the display arms of Sony and Hitachi, in supplying the vital components.

Pre-orders of the new handset are slated to begin on Friday, Sept 14, followed by a rollout a week later on Sept. 21.