Apple investors need to be alert to both positive and negative upcoming fundamental developments, one of which may give a boost to Samsung’s mobile fortunes.
An upcoming negative development for Apple AAPL is the potential release of the Samsung Galaxy S5 with a curved screen, which the iPhone currently does not have.
In terms of positive developments, Apple just won a patent for producing a curved screen. Here is an abstract of the patent number 8,603,574.
“A method of forming a curved touch surface is disclosed. The method can include depositing and patterning a conductive thin film on a flexible substrate to form at least one touch sensor pattern, while the flexible substrate is in a flat state. According to certain embodiments, the method can include supporting the flexible substrate in the flat state on at least one curved forming substrate having a predetermined curvature; and performing an anneal process, or an anneal-like high-heat process, on the conductive thin film, wherein the anneal process can cause the flexible substrate to conform to the predetermined curvature of the at least one curved forming substrate. According to an embodiment, the curved forming substrate can include a first forming substrate having a first predetermined curvature and a second forming substrate having a second predetermined curvature complementing the first predetermined curvature.”
An inference from the patent may be that a curved screen is coming on iPhone 6. Recently, Bloomberg reported that Apple was working on curved screens. And back in 2012, there was much speculation that the iPhone 5 would have a curved screen…Read more at MarketWatch
