Apple's iPad 5 Set to Continue Driving Market Shift Toward In-Cell Display Technology

Digitimes reports that the adoption of new touch-sensor systems in both the iPhone 5 and iPad has caused a notable shift in the supply chain of the touch panel market, according to research carried out by the firm DisplaySearch.

Displays with in-cell touch are expected to rise from 7.3% of mobile phone shipments in 2012 to 13.7% in 2013, while shipments of GG DITO (double-sided ITO glass) structure are expected to decline from 10.3% to 0.6%. For tablets, shipments of GF2 sensor structure are expected to rise from 4.7% in 2012 to 28.4% in 2013, while shipments of GG DITO structure decline from 37.2% to 8.1%.

Calvin Hseih, research director at DisplaySearch, notes that Apple has been primarily responsible for this shift, despite the massive number of touchscreen devices already on the market. Apple's shift from a GG type touch-sensor system (glass on glass) to in-cell touch technology and GF2 (whereby the second layer of glass is replaced by an optical film) has rapidly influenced the entire supply chain

Touch Display Technology

Touchscreen architectures (Source: Displaybank/ElectroIQ)

Apple switched from GG to in-cell touch technology with the iPhone 5 release back in September 2012 and the iPad mini and fourth-generation iPad also feature GF2 technology. Another report by Digitimes reiterates previous rumors that the upcoming fifth-generation iPad, which is slated to be released sometime in Q4 2013, will feature GF2 touch technology.

That technology will allow the new iPad to be thinner and lighter than previous models, with the technology being supplied by TPK and GIS. The fifth-generation iPad has been rumored and shown in leaked parts to be significantly smaller and thinner than the current iPad, taking design cues from the iPad mini.

Related Roundup: iPad
Buyer's Guide: iPad (Neutral)
Related Forum: iPad

Popular Stories

iOS 26

6 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 26.1

Wednesday October 29, 2025 4:22 am PDT by
Apple is about to drop iOS 26.1, the first major point release since iOS 26 was rolled out in September, and there are at least six notable changes and improvements to look forward to. We've rounded them up below. Apple has already provided developers and public beta testers with the release candidate version of iOS 26.1, which means Apple will likely roll out the update to all compatible...
ios 26 1 slide to stop

iOS 26.1 Brings Back 2007 Feature in New Way

Friday October 31, 2025 1:40 pm PDT by
The upcoming iOS 26.1 update includes a small but helpful change for iPhones, and it could prevent you from running late to something important. Specifically, when an alarm goes off in the Clock app, there is a new "slide to stop" control on the screen for turning off the alarm. On previous iOS 26 versions, there is simply a large "stop" button, which could be accidentally tapped. The new ...
M5 MacBook Pro

Waiting for New Macs? Apple Just Shared Bad News

Friday October 31, 2025 7:32 am PDT by
Apple has just given a strong indication that it will not be releasing any additional new Macs for the remainder of the year. Apple's CFO Kevan Parekh dropped the hint during the company's earnings call on Thursday:On Mac, keep in mind, we expect to face a very difficult compare against the M4 MacBook Pro, Mac mini, and iMac launches in the year-ago quarter.Parekh essentially gave a heads up ...
iOS 26

iOS 26.1 Coming Soon: New Features for Your iPhone and Release Date

Monday October 27, 2025 7:55 am PDT by
The upcoming iOS 26.1 update includes a handful of new features and changes for iPhones, including a toggle for changing the appearance of the Liquid Glass design, "slide to stop" for alarms in the Clock app, and more. Below, we outline key details about iOS 26.1. Release Date Given that Apple has yet to seed an iOS 26.1 Release Candidate, which is typically the final beta version, the...
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

8 Reasons to Wait for Next Year's iPhone 18 Pro

Thursday October 30, 2025 4:42 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models at the same time, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 18 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth...
maxresdefault

Apple TV 4K Could Still Launch Before 2025 Ends: All the Rumored Features

Monday October 27, 2025 4:51 pm PDT by
Apple is designing an updated version of the Apple TV 4K, and rumors suggest that it could come out sometime in the next couple of months. We're not expecting a major overhaul with design changes, but even a simple chip upgrade will bring major improvements to Apple's set-top box. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. We've rounded up all the latest Apple TV rumors. ...
ipad mini 7 feature blue

OLED iPad Mini: Release Date, Pricing, and What to Expect

Wednesday October 29, 2025 7:13 am PDT by
Rumors are stoking excitement for the next-generation iPad mini that Apple is reportedly close to launching. So what should we expect from the successor to the iPad mini 7 that Apple released over a year ago? Read on to find out. Processor and Performance Apple is working on a next-generation version of the iPad mini (codename J510/J511) that features the A19 Pro chip, according to...
Coffee Burgundy and Purple iPhone 18 Pro Mock 1

Leaker Outlines Potential New Colors for iPhone 18 Pro

Friday October 31, 2025 8:28 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone 18 Pro models could be available in new rich and warm color option, according to a known leaker. The Weibo user known as "Instant Digital" today suggested that next-year's iPhone 18 Pro models will be available in at least one of the following color options: Coffee, purple, and burgundy. The iPhone XR, iPhone 11, iPhone 12, iPhone 14, and iPhone 14 Pro were all available in ...
apple tv hd

Apple Launched Its Big New Vision for TV 10 Years Ago Today

Thursday October 30, 2025 8:58 am PDT by
Apple launched the Apple TV HD, the Siri Remote, tvOS, and their accompanying App Store a decade ago today, marking a major overhaul of the device. The new vision for the Apple TV was unveiled on September 9, 2015 during Apple's "Hey Siri" event in San Francisco, where CEO Tim Cook introduced the device with the statement, "The future of TV is apps." The announcement represented a major...

Top Rated Comments

pgiguere1 Avatar
160 months ago
Good, that's another thing that bothers me with my iPad 3 now that I'm used to the iPhone 5 (apart from weight/performance).

If the iPad 5 has an A7X, is thinner, lighter, has smaller side bezels and an in-cell touch display it would definitely be a worthwhile upgrade.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Dades Avatar
160 months ago
Try looking up ALON

(i.e. transparent aluminium... far stronger than bullet proof glass and a LOT thinner)
Yes, but would thinner ALON break easier than thicker ALON?
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Jsameds Avatar
160 months ago
Nice - I guess the main thing is the resulting weight loss as opposed to the reduction in thickness.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
HobeSoundDarryl Avatar
160 months ago
No survey. This "thinner" wish is solely the faithful being moved to believe it's some benefit. Now it's become about the first "benefit" quoted when we post dreams of the next thing from Apple. Apple spun "thin" as a benefit and now it's become/becoming a problem. To make Apple things thinner, functional parts within are getting jettisoned to support the "benefit" but the price isn't falling as such things are removed. Worse, the faithful are rationalizing the stuff that is jettisoned as if they are on the PR payroll, using the gamut of tired rationalization arguments including the worst of them (IMO) like: "I don't see a need to keep that, so no one else should either", the over-used statistics argument of "99% never use that" (minus the actual survey of course to support the number), etc.

When will Apple things be "thin" enough? Does everything have to get to the thickness (and fragility) of a piece of paper before they are thin enough? Do we want iDevices as thin as a piece of paper (knowing intuitively, how easily they will bend under even modest pressure)? Do we really want to try to hold an iPhone thinner than a movie ticket up to our ear?

I'm with you "santy". I'd rather quit with the race to "thinner" and focus on growing benefits like battery life (which is not accomplished by shrinking the battery so that we can spin "even thinner than last year's model" in the marketing). What some of us are doing now is paying full price for a thinner iDevice and then paying up for a battery case to give it the battery life we need. In other words, we're such spin suckers, we're craving thinner and then paying for a second device to make it thicker in daily use. Think about that.

Nevertheless, look through this very thread and you see it over and over: how most think making the phone or mini even thinner will somehow deliver some tangible benefit. At this point the biggest benefit it delivers is helping Apple justify removing functional parts so that the margin can remain "thick" or grow "thicker."
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Beardy man Avatar
160 months ago
So, just me than that would like it to be the same thickness but have longer battery life?

It's never going to fit in your pocket, if it's too heavy for you get a mini.
I'd just like longer battery life for those days when I'm out of reach of a charge point – would accept the back covered in solar panels ;-)
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
charlituna Avatar
160 months ago
Nice - I guess the main thing is the resulting weight loss as opposed to the reduction in thickness.
I hope not. I would hope the main thing is better visuals like color, less glare, better use in the sun etc with better touch sensitivity including some degree of pressure and less battery needs. If that comes in a package that is lighter and thinner, awesome. But weight had better not be THE reason for this

I would even take cheaper to use so we can bump the base storage without raising the retail price or lowering quality to less than the current as acceptable
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)