“Apple has purchased a factory ($100 million) and partnered with GT Advanced ($587 million) to produce sapphire crystal. That’s a big investment in a big facility, which has led to big speculation, though at least one obvious application isn’t being considered,” FairerPlatform reports. “Without Gorilla Glass, the smartphone revolution would have been a lot less revolutionary and you can give Apple a lot of the credit for that — Gorilla Glass maker Corning had shelved the technology until Apple came calling.”
FairerPlatform reports, “However, at least for the time being, Apple’s new Arizona sapphire crystal manufacturing plant isn’t a threat to Gorilla Glass. Or, that’s how Cantor Fitzgerald analyst Brian White sees things: ‘We do not expect sapphire to replace Corning’s Gorilla Glass on the iPhone or iPad in the coming quarters; however, we believe sapphire could gain traction in new small form factor applications or high-end devices with Apple in the future.'”
“Sapphire is great for smartphone and tablet camera lens covers, as well as a protective cover for the Touch ID fingerprint sensor in the iPhone 5S,” FairerPlatform reports. “Additionally, some high-end wristwatches also use sapphire crystal.”
Read more in the full article here.
Related articles:
GTAT able to supply sapphire for over 30 million iPhone screen covers due to Apple funding – November 8, 2013
Apple’s iPhone 6 could feature unmatched sapphire glass display – November 7, 2013
Why Apple’s new sapphire manufacturing agreement is a big deal – November 7, 2013
GT Advanced Technologies spikes on sapphire deal with Apple – November 5, 2013
Apple expands ‘Made in USA’ efforts with sapphire glass factory in Arizona, creating over 2,000 jobs – November 4, 2013
Apple strikes sapphire supply deal with GT Advanced – November 4, 2013
Gorilla glass maker Corning enters into strategic partnership with Samsung Display – October 23, 2013
Sapphire glass may be used in 2014 iPhone Retina display, sources say – September 18, 2013
Vertu COO: Apple investigated sapphire crystal displays, but found them infeasible at this time – June 13, 2013
Corning’s Gorilla Glass vs. sapphire for mobile touch displays – May 28, 2013
Apple’s next iPhone screen could be made of Sapphire – May 2, 2013
Steve Jobs, steel balls and Corning’s Gorilla Glass (with video) – January 11, 2013
Think iPod nano. Shut up already with the iWatch.
Agreed. Samsung has shown that until there is a compelling use case, it’s just a tech absurdity. I would be hard pressed to find a use for an iWatch.
If the iWatch monitors things like heart rate, oxygen level, blood sugar (all of which can be done by skin contact) and can call 911 if these measures are at critical levels who wouldn’t want one.
That’s NOT a smart watch – that’s a smart medic-alert bracelet. Which I would think would have an even smaller market than a smart watch. Not of all of America is diabetic and has heart issues – some of us watch what we eat and get regular daily exercise.
The Nike Fuelband makes exercise a game. It’s fun to be active. Something like WhoKnows’ idea above would make overall health a game…. What is your blood sugar? — Now how far down can you get it? What is your resting pulse? — Try to lower it by 5 bpm in a week through exercise! Etc, etc. It would be a fun way to know your health stats and there would be all sorts of applications. You don’t need to be a sicky to benefit. In fact, the healthy people would probably enjoy it best of all.
iFan – You might be healthy now, but if I hit you on the head with a hammer you’d wish you had the iWatch.
Yeah Apple and GT have invested hundreds of millions of dollars in exotic glass tech for the freaking iPod nano.
Don’t be stupid, stupid.
iWatch will be TV oriented.
Sapphire Liquidmetal Apple =
Awesome iThingy
I want at least two of those iThingys!