iPhone 5 will have thinner, better display, says report The upcoming iPhone 5 is expected to take a considerable leap in design and technology from its predecessor. Martin Hajek / July 17, 2012 July 17, 2012, 7:55 a.m. Apple's next iPhone is expected to have a bigger screen and now a new report says it will also have a thinner one. The Cupertino, Calif., tech giant is already mass-producing the screens, which will integrate touch capabilities into the LCD and thereby removing the need for a second layer used to make it a touch screen, according to the report. The technology, called in-cell, is about a half-millimeter thinner than what Apple uses now and is also expected to make the overall quality of the iPhone screen better. With that half-millimeter of space, Apple's next smartphone could either be thinner or it could use the space to pack the phone with more components. Though the in-cell screens take longer to build and are more difficult to put together, their incorporation into the iPhone would make the process of building the phone easier and cheaper for Apple. The report says the screen would simplify Apple's supply chain and cut costs by removing the need for a second layer. People familiar with the company said Sharp, LG and Japan Display are producing the panels for the display. The report, which was put out by the Wall Street Journal, comes a day after we reported the emergence of a new picture that purports to show the front panel of the upcoming iPhone. Along with a thinner display, the iPhone is expected to receive several other changes, setting it up to receive the biggest iPhone overhaul since Apple went from the iPhone 3GS to the iPhone 4 in 2010.