“While the timetable for a sapphire-screen iPhone remains unknown, a little known Chinese manufacturer has unveiled an “unbreakable” smartphone with a display made of sapphire that can be used to mix around with chestnuts without breaking as shown in its latest promotional video,” Lorraine Luk reports for The Wall Street Journal.
“State-controlled electronics maker Desay has started taking preorders for its new 5-inch sapphire-screen phone called Magical Mirror X5 through China Mobile, the world’s largest mobile carrier by subscribers in the country,” Luk reports. “The new phone with a sapphire screen, which is second only to diamonds in mineral hardness, is priced at 999 yuan ($160), it said.”
“The contract manufacturer, which has started building its own brand since 2013, serves customers including Ford Motor and Apple, according to the company’s website,” Luk reports. “Analysts said they believe Desay’s Magical Mirror X5 phones would only be available in limited quantities as the low retail price is unlikely to cover the production cost of the phone given the advanced hardware specifications. ‘It’s a smart marketing campaign to promote its nascent brand. But I doubt if all of its Magical Mirror X5 phones would actually feature expensive sapphire screens as customers cannot tell the difference between a hardened glass and a sapphire,’ said Forrester analyst Gene Cao.”
Read more in the full article here.
It’s easy when you don’t have to worry about making 300 million phones a year.
Agree; there was never issue with making smartphones with sapphire crystal as screen cover in small scale.
It can’t claim “unbreakable” until it at least survives the silly “will it blend” test.
Unbreakable in Chinese undoubtedly has many meanings.
Does it at least include ‘will not shatter when dropped’?
Who did they copy it from?