[Roo Zilla]

Apple is reported to be financing the building of a sapphire crystal plant in AZ. Sapphire isn't easy to make, it requires serious heat to make the things. I think currently the largest application for sapphire crystal is in high end watches. To expand the use of sapphire to iPhone, a device which sells in excess of 100M units per year, is going to require some serious production. I think currently cost for a sapphire screen is around $30-50. Presumably, a large scale production plant could reduce that cost somewhat. The biggest advantage of sapphire over current Corning Gorilla Glass is that it's stronger and pretty much scratch proof, you'd need a diamond to scratch the thing. Now that sapphire screens are coming, probably 2-3 years out, I kind of want Apple to go back to the glass sandwich design of of the 4-4S.

First look at Apple's U.S.-based sapphire crystal glass plant - Apple 2.0 -Fortune Tech

[Elite1]

Maybe it is a watch application in this case too, like something to compete with Galaxy Gear.

[xandermac]

The home button is also sapphire crystal. Gearing up for touchID in all the devices I reckon, not screens.


Twitter: xandermac

[Roo Zilla]

The home button is also sapphire crystal. Gearing up for touchID in all the devices I reckon, not screens.


Twitter: xandermac

Yes, the home button is made of sapphire, but they don't need an entire plant the size they're building in AZ for just the button. As it stands, the button isn't the source of the supply constraint on the 5S. I can easily imagine though, worldwide supply being insufficient to build 100M+ iPhone screens per year. Each screen is easily 30-40X the size of a button.

[xandermac]

200 million + iPhones, iPods, iPads per year is a lot of touchID buttons and the camera lenses are sapphire crystal also. That's more sapphire crystal than is produced for watches in a single year so I can see their desire to manufacture their own. I don't see screens being cost effective tbh. I guess time will tell. I'd like a sapphire screen tho, if it's thick enough to be strong anyway. The sapphire in my watches is pretty much indestructible, my Tag has taken a hell of a beating and not a scratch to be found.


Twitter: xandermac

[irweezyy]

The home button is also sapphire crystal. Gearing up for touchID in all the devices I reckon, not screens.


Twitter: xandermac

I thought the touchid was just another gimmick, but it works flawlessly! It is the only thing I am jealous of on an apple device, just like how I'm jealous of that damn feature samsung has where it can see when your looking at your screen so it doesn't time out while you are doing something. Wouldn't be surprised if it makes its way to all of apple devices. I

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