Sapphire screen? It's a 'no' for the Apple iPhone 6 but a resounding 'yes' for the iWatch
We recently passed along the word that Foxconn had produced 100 prototypes of the next-gen Apple iPhone, using a sapphire screen. The idea was for the contract manufacturer to test how well it could substitute the material for Gorilla Glass. Despite this test (or maybe because of it), it appears that a sapphire glass display is not in the cards for the Apple iPhone 6.
A report citing "Taiwan supply chain insiders" states that yields have been too low, which is a problem that should be corrected once Apple's Mesa plant is operational. But an even bigger problem is that using the sapphire now would result in a price hike that would force consumers to dig deeper into their pockets to buy the phone.
On the other hand, the sources from Taiwan indicate that the sapphire glass will still be used on the much smaller screen on the Apple iWatch. The amount of sapphire required to produce the timepiece is much less than that required for Apple's iconic smartphone. Obviously, the cost of the material is much less an issue with the watch display.
Thanks, Anonymous Tipster!
source: MyDrivers (translated), PCPOP (translated) via GforGames
On the other hand, the sources from Taiwan indicate that the sapphire glass will still be used on the much smaller screen on the Apple iWatch. The amount of sapphire required to produce the timepiece is much less than that required for Apple's iconic smartphone. Obviously, the cost of the material is much less an issue with the watch display.
The Apple iPhone 5s currently employs sapphire to protect the rear camera lens and the fingerprint sensor embedded in the home button. If this report is correct, we won't see that use expanded to the entire front panel until the 2015 iteration of the iPhone, at the earliest.
Thanks, Anonymous Tipster!
source: MyDrivers (translated), PCPOP (translated) via GforGames
FCC OKs Cingular\'s purchase of AT&T Wireless
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