Apple reportedly now has enough sapphire for iWatch, 4.7- and 5.5-inch iPhones with full sapphire cover glass

“GTAT is still waiting on the 4th and final prepayment [to be] received from Apple,” Matt Margolis reports for Wall Street Forensics. “The delay in the receipt of the final prepayment is believed to be related to the ramp up of equipment of equipment inside the Mesa facility. The sapphire plant is expected to be completed in June, which should coincide with the receipt of the final prepayment from Apple.”

“My latest supply chain check indicated that GT has likely installed slightly more than 2,500 furnaces. Sapphire boule size is expected to range between 200 and 235 kg,” Margolis reports. “As a result of my most recent supply chain check I believe that the Mesa sapphire operations will have an ample supply to cover the iWatch, the 4.7” iPhone and the 5.5” iPhone with full sapphire cover glass in 2014.”

“Additionally, the maximum sapphire screen capacity of the Mesa facility is likely to exceed 200m annual units,” Margolis reports. “My most recent supply chain check confirms that GT’s sapphire business with Apple is likely to approach or exceed $2B annually, or $2.00 earnings per share using an estimated ASP of $10 per unit.”

Read more in the full article here.

MacDailyNews Take: Where there are furnaces (and patents and billion-dollar investments), there’s smoke. And, where there’s smoke, there’s sapphire.

[Thanks to MacDailyNews Readers “Brawndo Drinker” and “Bill” for the heads up.]

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