sapphire

WSJ: higher-end 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch iPhone 6 models to get sapphire displays

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 18, 2018

The Wall Street Journal reports this afternoon that Apple plans to use sapphire crystal displays in higher-end models of both the 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch iPhone 6 models this fall. The news directly contradicts recent reports, which said the company had scrapped such plans due to complexity and cost.

According to today's report, though, the firm is still very much pondering the idea, and plans to move forward with it if it can get enough sapphire produced in time for launch. The outlet says that Apple may charge more for the phones due to the material's higher costs, a long-running theory this year...

New scratch test video suggests iPhone 6 front panel may not be sapphire

Cody Lee ∙ July 19, 2014

The consensus thus far has been that the iPhone 6 will feature a sapphire-covered display. Apple recently opened a plant to produce large amounts of the material, and we've seen videos depicting purported iPhone 6 panels as virtually indestructible.

But a new scratch test video suggests that the leaked iPhone 6 front panels floating around may not actually be made of [pure] sapphire. In the clip, YouTube veteran Marques Brownlee puts the panel to the test using Mohs scale of mineral hardness...

Rumor: iWatch to come in three models and two sizes, one featuring sapphire screen

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 6, 2016

Apple's rumored iWatch is said to come in three different models and two sizes: 1.6 and 1.8 inches. That's the gist of a new report from the Economic Daily newspaper which claims that one 1.6-inch model and two 1.8-inch models are in the works, with one of the bigger models incorporating a sapphire-strengthened screen.

KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo speculated back in April that the iWatch would come in two sizes, one for men and the other for women. That being said, this is the first time we heard that the device would come in both sapphire and non-sapphire varieties...

Video: ultimate torture test reveals what it takes to shatter iPhone 6’s sapphire cover glass

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 11, 2014

Earlier in the week, a scratch test captured on video had us marveling at the virtually indestructible sapphire-strengthened cover glass purportedly making its way to Apple's forthcoming new iPhones.

The test, posted by YouTuber Marques Brownlee, showed scratching the protective cover with a set of keys and even a large folding knife yielded absolutely no damage. As Brownlee noted, the part's scratch resistance and proneness to bending and twisting is beyond any smartphone cover glass you've ever seen.

Despite trying, Brownlee just couldn't break the part under his own power. But anything in this world can be broken to pieces. We're a curious bunch here at iDownloadBlog and have been wondering a lot what it'd take to push this alleged sapphire cover glass beyond the point of breaking.

I've just stumbled upon a torture test video which answers that question quite effectively. It's included after the break so give it a quick watch and meet us in comments...

Scratch test video shows durability of alleged 4.7-inch iPhone 6 sapphire cover

Cody Lee ∙ July 7, 2014

Hot on the heels of this morning's bend stress test video of an alleged iPhone 6 sapphire cover, comes a clip of a scratch test further showing the part's durability. YouTuber Marques Brownlee has gotten his hands on an alleged 4.7-inch iPhone 6 cover and put it through its paces.

In the video, Brownlee tries to snap the sapphire cover in half by bending it, but is unable to do so. He also takes a set of keys and even a large folding knife to the component in an effort to scratch the display cover, but again he is unsuccessful. We've posted the full video below...

Video: limited bending stress test of iPhone 6’s claimed sapphire cover

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 7, 2014

Our favorite parts leaker, Australia-born Sonny Dickson, is back at it again with a new video that seems to offer a look at an alleged sapphire-strengthened cover glass, presumably for Apple's next iPhone.

As you know, all iPhones models incorporate Gorilla Glass designed and produced by U.S.-based company Corning.

That being said, pundits have been calling for a sapphire iPhone ever since Apple earlier in the year confirmed prepaying over half a billion dollars to GT Advanced to secure multi-year supply of sapphire glass on an exclusive basis.

For those unfamiliar with sapphire, Wikipedia is your friend. In a nutshell, the precious gemstone's hardness is second only to diamond, making it a no-brainer for the 4.7 and 5.5-inch iPhone 6...

Rumors: power draw issues plaguing iWatch, sapphire screen exclusive to 5.5″ iPhone 6

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 30, 2017

It was just yesterday that analyst Matt Margolis speculated that Apple and its manufacturing partner GT Advanced - which operates a sophisticated sapphire plant in Arizona - can produce enough sapphire glass for both iPhone 6 models and now comes word that's not really the case.

Taiwan's Economic Daily News is out with a report claiming that only the larger 5.5-inch iPhone 6 model incorporates a sapphire-strengthened screen as Apple and GT continue to cope with yield issues and production limitations. As for Apple's rumored iWatch, the paper says current prototypes of the wearable device are plagued with energy consumption issues related to its OLED screen...

Samsung and LG now predictably eyeing sapphire

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated September 28, 2016

Apple may have gone the farthest along in commercializing sapphire as its new Messa, Arizona plant starts churning out first batches of sapphire crystal, but rivals are not standing still.

Now key players are taking notice and some are taking action, in particular Korea's Samsung and LG.

The fast-follower Samsung, along with consumer electronics makers LG, is said to be reconsidering its stance on the feasibility of using sapphire in mobile devices. This right there tells me Tim Cook & Co. have been right all along to gamble on sapphire and invest hundreds of millions of dollars in manufacturing facilities to secure multi-year output of the material...

iPhablet to be pricey due to costly sapphire screen?

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated August 29, 2016

SEC filings have confirmed that Apple partnered recently with a company called GT Advanced which operates a manufacturing facility in Mesa, Arizona that makes sapphire components. We also know for a fact that Apple prepaid more than half a billion dollars to buy sophisticated furnaces and equipment for the plant, securing multi-year output of sapphire parts on an exclusive basis.

Manufacture of sapphire components commenced recently, according to sources. Now, industrial-scale production like this points beyond sapphire components for the Touch ID sensor and the iSight camera lens protection.

Watchers speculate that Apple's phablet - an iPhone 6, if you will - has a massive sapphire-hardened 5.5-inch screen. But, a new post on China's micro-blogging platform cautions that the rising cost of sapphire display production may hinder Apple's ability to roll out the technology across its entire iOS device lineup...

Apple begins sending sapphire to China as iPhone 6 production ramps up

Cody Lee ∙ April 30, 2014

Apple announced last fall that it was opening up a new crystal sapphire production plant in Mesa, Arizona with partner GT Advanced Technologies. It's believed that the company is using the facility to make sapphire display covers for the upcoming iPhone 6.

Adding weight to the theory is a new report claiming that GT shipped small quantities of sapphire from Arizona to one of Apple’s partners in China this month. The news comes as manufacturers are believed to be ramping up production on the next-gen iPhone...

Apple apparently expanding operations at Arizona plant to increase sapphire output

Christian Zibreg ∙ March 28, 2014

As rumored yesterday, looks like Apple is indeed planning an expansion at its Mesa, Arizona plant to boost sapphire output ahead of the next-generation iPhone production. According to a new report Friday morning, the company is looking to double the number of high-tech furnaces that make sapphire boules in bulk.

Whereas previous records claimed Apple and its partner GT Advanced would use about 950 furnaces at the site, sources are now saying the firms want to equip the facility with some 1,700 furnaces. That could mean bolstering of yields to increase the plant's output beyond an estimated 100 to 200 million sapphire displays per year.

Apple has poured a cool $576 million into the Mesa facility to secure an exclusive, multi-year output of sapphire products. It's widely believed Tim Cook & Co. have found a way of strengthening the next iPhone's screen by applying a thin layer of sapphire material on top of the handset's cover glass...

New photos surface of Apple’s Arizona sapphire plant, possible expansion rumored

Cody Lee ∙ March 27, 2014

According to a new report from AppleInsider, contractors are working around the clock and on weekends to finish Apple's new sapphire plant in Mesa, Arizona. The site says that work on the facility is progressing, and that the company may be expanding the project with an additional building.

Word that the iPad-maker was teaming up with GT Advanced to build a sapphire production plant first came in November of last year, and it has since remained a popular topic. The Cupertino firm is believed to be using the plant to manufacture components for yet-to-be announced products...