Once Apple has decided to use for the first iPhone touchscreen glass instead of plastic. Now the company wants to replace the glass sapphire. This is more expensive but also more durable material will be better able to protect the device. According to sources familiar with the situation, it will happen, if Apple will be able to produce enough material.
JP Morgan analysts argue that the iPhone 6 smartphones released this year, will not be protected glass manufactured using artificially grown sapphire crystals. According to experts, now there is a problem with the restriction of the factory capacity, which so far is not enough to produce sapphire panels in the proper amount. The cost price of sapphire display still remains high: the procedure of ion implantation Hyperion , allowing cheaper production, is not yet ready for mass requests. That's why Apple is reportedly ponders whether to equip their next smartphone, expected by the presentation on September 9th.
First sapphire screens for the iPhone and "smart" iWatch hours should get off the assembly line in Mesa, Arizona. This company Apple opened with the company GT Advanced Technologies. She has already invested in its equipment $ 578 million, and by the end of October should invest another $ 139 million. At full capacity the plant can produce twice as many sapphires than now do about 100 manufacturers around the world, says Eric virey, a senior analyst at the French research firm Yole Developpement. "No one has invested so much money in sapphires," - he says.
Apple is already using sapphires for fingerprint readers and lenses in cameras iPhone. If the company will use more material, it can solve the problem with a broken screen smartphones.Estimated to SquareTrade, about 11% of iPhone owners break or scratch their screens.
Apple and GT plans to eventually reduce the cost of production of synthetic sapphire, and before that time to meet the demand for smartphones will be used screens of glass. "Until Apple investment, I would say that the idea is brilliant and sapphires has great potential, but its realization a few years - said Vinita Dzhakhanval of IHS. - But Apple has invested such a large amount. So it would be fair to say that the company is likely expects to recoup investments pretty quickly. "
Nevertheless, there is a high probability that the sapphire iPhone this year appear not to be.