While rumors of the iPhone 5 continue to rife, Japanese news daily Nikkei today reported that Apple will partner with Sharp to create next-generation low-temperature poly-silicon LCD displays for the iPhone 6.

Citing anonymous sources, the paper reported that Apple's next-generation smartphones will be equipped with LCD displays manufactured at Sharp' s Kameyama Plant No 1. Mass production of the new LCDs are expected to start in spring of 2012, the paper added.

Apple will reportedly use Sharp's LCD displays with Thin Film Transistors made from polycrystalline silicon (p-Si). These displays are thinner, lighter and consume less power compared to the traditional LCD display screens. The screens also allows placing optical sensors and other components on the glass substrate, so there's no need to add any additional touch-screen layer to the device.

Sharp Kameyama Plant No 1 uses sixth-generation glass substrates, which measure 1,500 x 1,800 mm.