Later Released Version of the iPhone 6 May Have Ultra-Durable Sapphire Screen
How many cracked or scratched iPhone screens have you seen before? If you're like most of us you've probably known at least a few people with a damaged display on their smartphone.
An entire industry has sprung up around replacing and repairing device displays, simply because they can often be broken with a simple 4-foot drop from a table. Well, Apple could be set to change all of that with the iPhone 6. Rumors and industry news suggests that the iPhone maker will be unleashing, at least in some capacity, a brilliant sapphire crystal display that is said to be scratch-resistant and practically indestructible.
At the moment Apple is using Corning Gorilla Glass in the iPhone 5 – the same material Samsung uses in its Galaxy line - but the iPhone 6 could be the first smartphone to debut a new type of display material that could revolutionize screen durability.
Might Not See Sapphire Displays Until 2015
Initial rumors suggested that the sapphire screen would only be available on the larger 5.5 inch version, however last month a YouTube video surfaced showing a 4.7 inch display being tested for durability, so we could see this material used in all of the iPhone 6's.
In the video, you get to see just scratch-proof, flexible, and resistant the new display is in comparison to the screen on the iPhone 5, as tech reviewer Marquees Brownlee attempts to damage the screen via stabbing, sandpapering, bending, and a gauntlet of other tests:
Still, even more recent reports suggest that we might not see the new super material until next year, when it would be released in the larger and more costly 5.5 inch version of the iPhone 6. We won't know for sure until Apple's pre-launch event on September 9th.
Partnering with GT Advanced to Manufacture Sapphire Glass
Earlier this year there were rumors stating that production delays could be caused due to the difficulty of manufacturing sapphire displays. However, recent reports suggest that the process Apple is using may not be that expensive after all.
To help fulfill their supply needs, Apple has begun working with sapphire manufacturer GT Advanced. Back in March 2012 Apple filed patents pertaining to layering glass and other materials in such a way that it is difficult to chip, crack , or scratch the resulting product. Apple has also filed patents on sapphire laminating processes.
Furthermore, GT Advanced has acquired another company called Twin Creeks Technologies, which invented a wafering process called 'Hyperion', and this is expected to greatly reduce the cost of manufacturing synthetic sapphire screens. This process would allow Apple to use cheaper forms of glass at the base of the laminate, while layering synthetic sapphire on top to provide the same durability at a fraction of the cost of using pure sapphire.
So it turns out that initial claims by analysts were probably wrong, the new sapphire displays are not going to cost 5x more to make than Corning Gorilla Glass. In fact, to the contrary the new Hyperion manufacturing method could allow Apple to manufacture sapphire screens for about the same cost if not less.
