“Rumors have suggested that Apple is using the sapphire garnered from its partnership with GT Advanced to produce sapphire crystal displays for the iPhone 6, and if true, such a move would normally inspire competitors to produce their own devices with sapphire displays,” Juli Clover reports for MacRumors. “It does not appear, however, that other major smartphone manufacturers are ready to adopt sapphire as a display solution, due to the expense of the material and its quality compared to the more popular Gorilla Glass.”
“Engadget, in an in-depth piece on sapphire displays, contacted multiple representatives from major smartphone companies, who had researched sapphire as a possible material and largely decided against it. LG, for example, said the material was too expensive,” Clover reports. “‘The cost and supply aren’t where we’d like them to be for sapphire to be practical just yet,’ said Ken Hong, Global Communications Director for LG. ‘Sapphire’s durability and scratch-resistance are certainly attractive, but Gorilla Glass isn’t going to be displaced anytime soon.'”
Clover reports, “Sapphire is astronomically expensive compared to alternatives like Gorilla Glass, with a pane costing $30 compared to $3. Apple’s partnership with GT Advanced has allowed Apple to help fund advanced sapphire production methods that significantly lower manufacturing costs, however, a feat that most manufacturers will be unable to match.”
Much more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: As we wrote back in April:
Exotic materials, esoteric manufacturing processes, unparalleled build quality, and seamless access to unequaled ecosystems that patent-infringing imitators simply cannot match…
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