Smartphones May Come with Sapphire Displays in the Future

[Akshay Masand]

Remember the days your iPhone would scratch so easily that you had to be extra careful with where you would place your phone? Well with the iPhone 5, Apple used anodized aluminum with inlays along the tops and bottoms made by pigmented glass (on black models) and ceramic glass (on white models) to replace the glass casing on the back. Sapphire crystals were also used to cover the back camera and according to Apple, are “far less likely to scratch” because the hardness comes second right after diamonds.

A new report by MIT Technology Review discusses the possibility of future smartphones having displays made completely of Sapphire to increase the longevity of phones. They also estimated that Sapphire crystals are about three times stronger than Gorilla Glass. The only problem is, the cost of Sapphire is far more expensive than Gorilla Glass:

Sapphire, a crystalline form of aluminum oxide, probably won’t ever be as cheap as Gorilla Glass, the durable material from Corning that’s used to make screens on iPhones and other smartphones. A Gorilla Glass display costs less than $3, while a sapphire display would cost about $30. But that could fall below $20 in a couple of years thanks to increased competition and improving technology, says Eric Virey, an analyst for the market research firm Yole Développement. And since sapphire performs better than glass, that price could make it cheap enough to compete, he says.

Does this mean we will have phones that won’t scratch no matter where we drop them and will be completely scratch-resistant? Eric Virey, an analyst from Yole Développement announces that some smartphones will have sapphire displays as early as this year and we wonder if iPhones are on that list.

One thing we do know is that we'll find out by being patient.

Source: MIT Technology Review

[iancarlesimo]

The above scenario indicates that there is a genuine demand in quality app development. With this reason being the motive factor, many iPhone application development companies are taking extra care to develop applications that meet the requirements of any user.

[Sage I]

Some corny, flashy, flossin, stinkin rich rappers and pop stars are gonna be getting diamond glass custom made for their phones... Cause they will be rich enough to have harder glass then the rest of our gorilla glass and sapphire screens...

[cpotoso]

So... on a $600 phone $20 is too expensive? WTF?

[Zokunei]

I don't know why this article never mentions the increased resistance to shattering as well as scratching.

[flash66]

I don't know why this article never mentions the increased resistance to shattering as well as scratching.

I have a few expensive watches with sapphire crystals and they can still scratch.

[Zokunei]

I have a few expensive watches with sapphire crystals and they can still scratch.

Is the glass made entirely from sapphire? The article says that the new displays would be "made completely of sapphire."

[skibumstevo]

The above scenario indicates that there is a genuine demand in quality app development. With this reason being the motive factor, many iPhone application development companies are taking extra care to develop applications that meet the requirements of any user.

-1 COMPLETELY OFF TOPIC... wtf?

So... on a $600 phone $20 is too expensive? WTF?

Yes, when the entire phone is manufactured for less the $200, that would represent MORE than 10% of the cost of the phone...just for the front glass (no LCD, etc)...no way Apple is spending $20 on the glass...NO WAY

[thazsar]

Forget Sapphire Display...I want a Uranium Display!

[cypherstream]

So we sometimes spend $20-$30 or more in cases and/or screen protectors.
So I don't see an additional $20-$30 on the cost of the device a big deal if you don't need to get a pack of quality screen protectors or case.

[vinaygoel2000]

So... on a $600 phone $20 is too expensive? WTF?

$20 times 100 million phones. Do the math.

[luvmytj]

Everybody knows unobtainium makes the best display screens.

[Tizocman]

So we sometimes spend $20-$30 or more in cases and/or screen protectors.
So I don't see an additional $20-$30 on the cost of the device a big deal if you don't need to get a pack of quality screen protectors or case.

The thing is the cases and screen protectors are your cost the screen would be apples cost which would cut there profit margin by alot and apple likes to raise profit margins

[se23]

The above scenario indicates that there is a genuine demand in quality app development. With this reason being the motive factor, many iPhone application development companies are taking extra care to develop applications that meet the requirements of any user.

Say this in a Sheldon Cooper voice looool

[PokemonDesigner]

I would absolutely love for apple to use a sapphire screen with the 5s. It would make buying that retarded screen a little bit better.

[camxposure]

I just wonder where affording the longevity pays to have a screen that will outlast the phone's depreciation after another is introduced in the market to supercede it. As a new phone will be introduced as the next best thing, only those stuck in a contractual agreement will worry how long their phone screen will last them. I thought the nature of the game was to keep up with the Jones' not increase the life of their phonez

maybe there should be an app to remind people to handle their phone much gentler than normal- or to remind them to buy a protective case- or a nag screen???

[DaLsim]

Some corny, flashy, flossin, stinkin rich rappers and pop stars are gonna be getting diamond glass custom made for their phones... Cause they will be rich enough to have harder glass then the rest of our gorilla glass and sapphire screens...

+1. Not only they have Diamond glass iphone? They got Diamond glass on their house's,Car's,Boat,s N RV's... Need I Say More... They was born with a golden spoons, While we were born with a tooth picks...

[cpotoso]

$20 times 100 million phones. Do the math.

It is still a small fraction of total volume of 100 million phones times $600. Just because a number is big does not make it relevant without context.

[Breezy215]

Say this in a Sheldon Cooper voice looool

.

BAZINGA!!!! lol

[robbpell]

pass the cost onto the customer, sell a model upgrade, I promise $600 iphones will sell a lot slower than their $620 sapphire screen counter-part.