JP Morgan: Apple to restrict sapphire glass to high-end Apple iPhone 6 models

Just because Apple is believed to be using sapphire glass on Apple iPhone screens this year, doesn't mean that all versions of the Apple iPhone 6 will feature the material. According to a report from JP Morgan Securities Ltd., Apple will limit the number of screens using sapphire glass, to ten million units. That figure represents less than 1% of the entire smartphone market.

According to the analysts who wrote the report, Apple might restrict the use of sapphire glass this year to the 128GB model of the 4.7 inch iPhone 6. With the material costing $30 to $35 more than Gorilla Glass, it would make sense for the manufacturer to use it at first on the most expensive versions of the device. Apple connected analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities, previously said that the 64GB 5.5 inch Apple iPhone 6 would be the only model that could take advantage of sapphire glass.

According to the JP Morgan research, yields of sapphire glass smartphone displays might only be in the area of 50%, which explains the higher cost compared to Corning's Gorilla Glass. Speaking of Gorilla Glass, Corning says that tests in the laboratory show that sapphire glass is easier to break than its material.

Besides the iPhone, there was talk that Apple would use sapphire on its iWatch. But a check of the supply chain by JP Morgan, suggests that not every version of the Apple iWatch will feature sapphire glass.

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source: TapeiTimes via GforGames