sapphire

Corning exec slams sapphire, calling it heavy and environmentally unfriendly

Cody Lee ∙ Updated October 28, 2017

We've known for a while now that Corning, the manufacturer behind Gorilla Glass used in several mobile devices, wasn't a fan of sapphire crystal as an option for protective display material. And why should it be, considering the tech is a direct competitor to its flagship Gorilla line.

But at the Morgan Stanley Technology, Media & Telecom Conference yesterday, the company escalated the beef with some comments made by SVP Tony Tripeny. When asked about the 'puts and takes' of sapphire, the exec called it heavy, expensive and environmentally unfriendly...

Full production of GT-made sapphire starting in H2 2014, in time for Fall launch of iPhone 6

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 28, 2019

GT Advanced Technologies, a U.S.-based company Apple's partnered with on mass-scale sapphire manufacture in its new Mesa, Arizona facility, today released earnings for the 2013 holiday quarter and said that 2014 will be a "transformational" year for the company. Plans to supply sapphire glass to Apple are "progressing well" as GT expects a very profitable second half of 2014.

Its projected revenues also indicate a Fall launch for the next iPhone model (or models, if you believe the rumors). According to GT, the company has "started to build out the facility in Arizona and staff the operation" during the previous quarter...

Apple reportedly secured three year’s worth of sapphire glass

Christian Zibreg ∙ February 19, 2014

With a larger of the two jumbo-sized iPhones rumored to arrive later this year rocking a massive 5.5-inch screen, Apple's adamant to buy huge amounts of thin sapphire laminates, likely to strengthen the handset's cover glass. We know Apple invested nearly $500 million in high-tech furnaces and equipment for its Arizona sapphire plant.

The firm is operating the facility in partnership with GT Advanced.

We've also known that Apple and GT have signed an exclusive multi-year agreement and now Canonical CEO Mark Shuttleworth has gone on the record claiming that Apple has acquired three-year supply of sapphire screens...

Rumor: the next iPhones have sharper 4.7″ and 5.5″ Retina screens with sapphire protection

Christian Zibreg ∙ February 12, 2014

According to a new report by the South China Morning Post, Apple is reportedly gearing up to launch two new iPhones with bigger screens sporting sapphire crystal protection. The handsets are reportedly scheduled to launch in September 2014.

In corroborating previous rumors by Bloomberg and The Wall Street Journal, sources claim the upcoming iPhones have 4.7 and 5.5-inch screens coated in sapphire, the expensive gemstone Apple uses to protect its Touch ID fingerprint sensor on the iPhone 5s and iSight camera lenses on iOS devices. And, the screens will be flat, not curved...

How Arizona wooed Apple to build sapphire plant

Christian Zibreg ∙ February 10, 2014

Apple last week began moving sophisticated equipment and furnaces into its new manufacturing facility in Mesa, Arizona. The plant, operated by a company called GT Advanced, should produce two times the current worldwide capacity of sapphire, enough for an annual production of about 100 million iPhones with a sapphire-protected cover glass.

But how exactly did State of Arizona attract Apple to build the plant in Mesa and create more than 700 high-quality jobs in the first year, and 4,000 more if successful? With the right package of incentives, perks and tax breaks, that's how...

Apple’s Arizona sapphire plant said to be gearing up to build 5″ iPhone displays

Cody Lee ∙ February 6, 2014

We've known since last fall that Apple was teaming up with GT Advanced to open up a sapphire crystal manufacturing plant in Mesa, Arizona. But up until now, it's been unclear exactly what components it would be making. Camera lenses? Touch ID covers?

Well according to a new report from 9to5Mac, the plant is gearing up to build iPhone displays. Citing import/export and other records, the site says that the Mesa plant has just procured enough equipment to make over 100M ~5-inch iPhone displays this year...

Apple pushing to open Arizona sapphire plant to start producing ‘critical’ component

Cody Lee ∙ January 29, 2014

By now, most of you have probably heard that Apple has teamed up with manufacturing partner GT Advanced Technologies to open up a plant in Mesa, Arizona for producing sapphire. The plant is nearly ready to open, and Apple has already begun hiring engineers.

Up until now, though, little has been known about what kind of parts this sapphire factory would be producing. But some new documents just surfaced that may help fill in the blanks. Apparently, Apple is going to use the plant to produce a new 'critical' component...