iPhone 5 Thickness Estimated at 7.90mm

KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes he has nailed the thickness of the new Apple iPhone, based on the materials thought-to-be used by manufacturers to assemble the device.

Thanks to Apple’s rumored adoption of in-cell touch panels, Kuo believes there will be an initial reduction in thickness of about 0.44 millimeters thanks to the removal of a separate touch sensor layer and of one layer of adhesive.

Kuo further calculated that Apple’s next smartphone will boast a thinner battery. Thanks to the rumored switch to a liquid-metal enclosure, the thickness would again be revived by 0.96mm, resulting in a next-gen iPhone measuring 7.90mm in depth. Apple's current iPhone 4S measures 9.3mm in depth.

Kuo estimates that the adoption of in-cell technology will benefit Apple on multiple levels, including assembly time.

"Another advantage of using in-cell touch is the shorter lead time for touch panel, its most valuable component, and adjusted activities at the supply end, allowing more precisely tailored products to meet market needs, eventually reducing production costs by an estimated 10-20%," Kuo wrote.

As noted in a DigiTimes report last week, traditional panel makers like TPK and Wintek are likely to see their profits decline, should Apple confirm rumors and switch to the new in-cell technology.

As such, Kuo has switched his ratings on TP to underperform, noting that the company's shipments will "start to fall considerably" come Q3 2012, according to AppleInsider.

“As the smartphone market is dominated by large players, lost iPhone business won’t be made up by orders from other smartphone brands,” he said.

At the other end of the spectrum, Toshiba Mobile Display, Sharp and LG Display are all prepared to produce in-cell panels in bulk for Apple’s smartphones, spelling huge profits for these companies as Apple prepares to unveil its new iPhone.

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