6.1-Inch iPhone to Include 'Active Full LCD' Panel, iPad Pro With Face ID Support Won't Include a 3.5mm Headphone Jack: Report

While a recent leak showed thicker bezels on the 6.1-inch LCD iPhone over the OLED models in the 2018 iPhone lineup, a new report claims that Apple has preferred a 'Full Active LCD' panel for the cheaper model to offer plenty of display area. The Cupertino company is reported to have tied up with Japan Display for manufacturing the required LCD panel. The Japanese manufacturer is also reportedly designing a third-generation 'Japan Pixel Eyes' touch sensor. Due to the advancements in terms of designing - despite using cheaper solutions such as an LCD over an OLED panel, the company is claimed to have some production constraints and will not be able to bring the 6.1-inch model alongside the other two new iPhone versions sometime in September. It is instead reportedly in plans to release the affordable model sometime in November. Separately, it is said that the iPhone maker is preparing new iPad Pro models that won't include a headphone jack and come with the same Face ID technology that first arrived on the iPhone X last year.

Japan's Macotakara reports that the 6.1-inch iPhone model this year will debut with a Full Active Display from Japan Display. The new panel - with a Japan Pixel Eyes touch sensor - is said to help Apple to offer thin bezels on its cheaper option, despite using an LCD panel. Manufacturers using a Full Active Display are able to offer as thin bezels as 0.5mm. For comparison, the iPhone X has nearly a 1mm thick bezel.

The Japanese source claims that the 6.1-inch iPhone will have a "four-side narrow frame". This again suggests a compact design - irrespective of a display panel larger than the 5.8-inch display of the iPhone X. Earlier this month, the glass panels of the 2018 iPhone family showed that the LCD version won't have as thin bezels as its OLED counterparts. It is still safe to say that the new model will have prominent bezels to bring any major distinctions over the pricer iPhone models this year.

The new report contradicts a previous rumour that was claiming the presence of LG's MLCD+ panel on the 6.1-inch iPhone model. Apple might be evaluating certain areas to pick the right panel for the handset that is so far expected to be the cheapest in the new iPhone family.

Alongside reporting the new display panel, Macotakara highlights that Apple is facing production issues with the 6.1-inch iPhone. While the Tim Cook-led team reportedly kicked off its production this month, the "perfect product rate" is said to be quite lower than what was internally estimated. The company is thus said to be in plans to push the launch of the new iPhone sometime to November. A delayed launch in October was also predicted by a Morgan Stanley analyst.

Macotakara also reports that in addition to the new iPhone lineup, Apple is preparing the new iPad Pro models that will be smaller and slimmer than the current iPad Pro versions. The 10.5-inch iPad Pro this year is said to have dimensions of 247.5x178.7x6mm. In contrast, the current model with the same display size measures 250.6x174.1x6.1mm. Similar is apparently the case of the next-generation 12.9-inch iPad Pro model that is said to have dimensions of 247.5x215x6.4mm over the existing measurement of 305.7x220.6x6.9mm.

Apple is reportedly not favouring any reduction in the displays of the next iPad Pro models. Instead, the company could prefer offering Face ID against the Touch ID-supported home button. Some initial evidence of Face ID on iPad emerged in the past to hint at the ongoing advancement. Further, it is said that Apple is in plans to move the facial recognition technology to the "lower rear side - close to the Lightning connector" to make it feasible to recognise faces in the landscape mode easily. It is unclear that where exactly the TrueDepth Camera setup will be available to recognise faces. However, Macotakara notes that "the next iPad Pro Smart Keyboard may be changed to vertical position specifications" to bring the new experience.

The next-generation iPad Pro models are also rumoured to have the absence of a headphone jack. This isn't something new for Apple has the company isn't providing the traditional audio connectivity on its iPhone models since the launch of the iPhone 7 back in September 2016.

We need to wait for sometime to see how Apple will design its new iPad Pro models. Meanwhile, it is already expected that alongside the 10.5-inch and 12.9-inch versions, the company is set to bring an 11-inch iPad Pro this year.