Sapphire Screen Unlikely for iPhone 6
Apple iPhone enthusiasts have been anxiously awaiting the launch of iPhone 6. While the release date is unofficial, more recent rumors have been swirling around whether or not it will be made with a sapphire screen. Sapphire glass, anticipated for being the next best thing on the coattails of Apple’s popular gorilla glass technology, has been hyped up for its strength and scratch resistant properties. While a competing manufacturer launched a sapphire screen smartphone earlier this week, consumers, along with Apple, are left weighing the benefits and considerations of sapphire glass as it enters the market.
Sapphire screen technology
While sapphire crystal is second to diamond in hardness and durability, Apple has considered relenting on the sapphire screen feature of iPhone 6 for many reasons. To begin with, the unmatched strength of sapphire glass makes it excessively heavy. For smartphones that are particularly built to be light weight and adequately strong, sticking with what already works is appealing. Secondly, to produce enough iPhone 6’s to meet the market demand is rather challenging. Supply chain logistic kinks and defects arising from manufacturing defect issues with sapphire material could result in poor productivity for Apple. Project timelines and adequate supplies of sapphire glass is the number one factor in determining once and for all whether iPhone 6 will or will not have a sapphire screen.
Problems and expense
The cost of sapphire glass is exorbitant at this point in time. The high-end material must be processed with diamond grade tools and may prove too heavy for the iPhone’s sleek, slim frame anyway. Specs aside, manufacturing capacity for iPhone 6 models is the most problematic. Analysts continue to attribute the complex processing of sapphire glass to poor yields resulting in insufficient materials and time until the iPhone 6 launch date.
iPhone 6 – No sapphire screen
While it is most likely the case that iPhone 6 will not include the sapphire display, Apple has in fact invested in the technology and has gone as far as establishing sapphire glass plants both back east and in Arizona. For the time being, rumors of iWatch and other wearables that will be introduced on the coattails of iPhone 6 may be the first devices that incorporate a sapphire display into mobile technology. The spendy material being considered for next generation products may not deliver enough benefit for the company to justify a large-scale roll-out in the immediate future.
Moreover, it is unlikely that iPhone 6 sales will suffer from the lack of the missing sapphire screen feature. Since the new iPhone will provide users with up to six new features like the new iOS 8 operating system, health tracking technology and LiquidMetal design, consumers are sure to be delighted with the new phone, regardless of traditional display in most instances. The ever-evolving reputation of cellular devices leads consumers to anticipate never-before seen features but also to expect that such features will be sprinkled throughout companion devices to keep users coming back for more. Expertly marketed, features like sapphire glass grab the attention of buyers to keep them looking forward and expecting more.
