A fierce battle over the new iPhone display scheduled to be released next year, a part of the behind the scenes has come under sharp protest

For the display adopted for the new iPhone scheduled to be released next year, Apple will make direct investment, and what Sharp and Toshiba made will be adopted, but "Sharp is out and investment is narrowed down only to ToshibaReport was made today by the Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun.

Sharp said "The article is one-sided, contrary to facts, and it markedly hurt our credibility. Our company strictly protests against the Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun, Inc. and requests the withdrawal of the article and apologyWe protest with a strong voice tone, but where is the real intention of the protest?

Details of the consideration such as contents inquired to Sharp and analogy based on the information obtained so far are as follows.
Apple, "iPhone" Liquid Crystals to Toshiba: Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun

This story that the origin was posted on the front page of the Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun. Risks of concentrating investment in one country by the earthquake disappears with the content that Apple invests about 100 billion yen in Sharp with Toshiba and entrusts the manufacture of a liquid crystal display to be adopted for the new iPhone to be released next year It is said that the investment destination in Japan has been narrowed down to one Toshiba company due to the fact that it has been changed, the procurement difficulties of liquid crystal manufacturing equipment, and the repetition of Korean manufacturers.

It was revealed that Apple has narrowed its investment destination in Japan to Toshiba as a medium-sized liquid crystal panel used for smartphones (multi-function mobile phone). In parallel with Toshiba Apple was negotiating Sharp out of the candidate.
The risk of investment concentration in one country became apparent due to the earthquake disaster, besides the procurement difficulties of liquid crystal manufacturing equipment, and the collapse of Korean manufacturers, several factors overlapped. In addition to the expectation for Sharp as a large customer, there is no demand for Apple, and large panels for television are also in excess inventory and production such as the Sakai factory (Sakai Ward, Sakai Ward) is suspended and urgent restructuring of the liquid crystal business is urgently required become.
Apple focused on Japan's liquid crystal technology which is advantageous for high-definition display of the screen. We are preparing to adopt it for a new model of "iPhone (iPhone)" to be released next year. Toshiba and Sharp had a framework in which Apple plans to pay about 100 billion yen directly to each new production line.

In response to this report, Sharp announced the comment "unilaterally against the fact", "strictly protesting, withdrawing the article and apologizing."

About the article of Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun dated April 20th | News Release: Sharp

On the Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun dated April 20th, articles on liquid crystal trading between the Company and specified customers
It is described.
However, the article is unilateral contrary to the facts, remarkable in our credibility
I am hurting.
Our company strictly protests against the Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun, Inc., and requests the withdrawal of the article and apology.

I asked Sharp 's spokesperson what part of the article is unilateral against the fact and inquired about whether he is seriously hurting his credit, and if I summarize it roughlyBasically it is impossible for us to disclose transactions with specific customers, but that article is contrary to the facts"It was stating. Although it looks like a very ambiguous answer when looking at only this, you can see from the standpoint of knowing the industry that this answer has a different meaning.

First of all, with regard to procurement of parts of such products, not limited to iPhones,It is not possible to announce the fact that it is undertaking from the side who is contracted to manufacture for the transaction with a specific customerThe point is raised. In other words, unless you got a special permission, the side you ordered can not be said to be "This part of that product was manufactured at home!" Especially Apple is famous for forcing thorough secrecy against both negotiating partners and part suppliers.

In other words, it is impossible for Toshiba and Sharp to announce something from myself about this next iPhone (possibly for iPhone 6, not iPhone 5). Nevertheless Sharp announced the comment "Contrary to the facts", "Strictly protesting, withdrawing the article and asking for an apology" for Sharp this time, this report is advantageous for Toshiba Sharp still does not negotiate with Apple even though it works but Sharp still continues negotiations with Apple and it is not because we have not decided 100% yet to "narrow down to one Toshiba company" It is considered.

Originally the Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun posted this article in a single page, but the source of information that "content of investment in Japan has been narrowed down to Toshiba" of course is unknown. Not to mention secretive Apple, as well as Sharp will not leak content that is disadvantageous to the company, so we can not deny the possibility that Toshiba stakeholders leaked to advance negotiations advantageously, but how to do this Whether seeing it depends on future development.

In addition, concerned about the risk of concentrating investment in one country (concerning the supply of components being stagnant at once in the event of a disaster striking the whole country like the recent earthquake), in fact, If we narrow down production candidates to one company and decide to entrust another company to a manufacturer other than Japan, we can anticipate to some extent which manufacturers will have arrows of bare feathers.

Because the supply of the high definition liquid crystal "Retina Display" of iPhone 4 is done by "Toshiba" in Japan and "LG Electronics" in Korea. In fact there is another choice, Samsung,What is in trial with AppleEven if you think about it, it is a bit difficult to imagine that you should hit with one hand and shake hands with the other hand.

By the way, "New iPhone" scheduled to be released next year,There is information that manufacture will be delayed and production will begin from September "iPhone 5 (provisional)"Whether it is "iPhone 6 (tentative)" of the next generation or not is unknown, it seems that there is no doubt that a model adopting a high definition display beyond "Retina Display" will appear.