5 reasons why Apple didn't use Sapphire Displays in the iPhone 6

[RedRound2]

Time is reporting that, in contrast to the many rumors (and GTAT investor claims), Apple had never planned to use sapphire displays for the iPhone 6, and the company may not use it for future iPhones.

 

• The first is that the strength of sapphire has been largely misunderstood. Yes, it’s very resistant to scratches, but it’s actually more vulnerable than Gorilla Glass to being smashed when dropped – and even the invisible scratches a phone can get when carried in pockets can lead to failure.

• When you drop it, it is more likely than glass to break. Glass actually flexes and can absorb the shock of a drop more successfully than sapphire [...]

  Those small cracks add up like the normal wear and tear we put our phones through every day – knocking around in our purses and pockets with keys and change, or scuffing against the surface of a counter repeatedly [...]

  Once sapphire is exposed to a scratch or a flaw, visible or invisible, its risk of breakage and eventual failure is high.

   

• Sapphire is also denser than glass, making it heavier, and bulkier – neither good things when your aim is to make a phone as thin and light as possible.

• Battery life, surprisingly, was also a key consideration. Sapphire transmits less light than glass, requiring more powerful backlighting to deliver the same display brightness.
• The all-in cost of using a sapphire display is also much higher than some had estimated. The material cost is around ten times that of Gorilla Glass, and it’s claimed associated costs could add as much as $100 to the cost of an iPhone.
• Finally, for a company which prides itself on its environmental credentials, Apple may have felt some discomfort over the amount of energy required to manufacture sapphire: more than 100 times that of the same quantity of glass

Most of these arguments would also apply to the use of sapphire in the Apple Watch, but the much smaller surface area means that cost is less of a factor – and scratch-resistance is more important than protection against drops in a device that spends most of the day securely attached to your wrist.

 

I was pretty excited for the Sapphire Display, but I guess these reasons are enough to justify why they didn't do it.

 

Source: http://9to5mac.com/2014/09/17/the-five-reasons-apple-never-intended-to-use-sapphire-displays-on-the-iphone-6-time/

[virtualTune]

The battery Life aspects is interesting! 

[Jaybird]

I have a watch with a Safire face and I'll say, it still has no scratches despite the titanium taking some nice gouges from hitting the concrete at 15mph.

That said, the Safire seems very very clear. The whole, requires more backlight, does not seem like a pertinent reason

[79wjd]

Sapphire is also denser than glass, making it heavier, and bulkier – neither good things when your aim is to make a phone as thin and light as possible.

Please stop Apple.....no one cares if the iphone is the thinnest lightest phone around--almost everyone would be more than happy going back to iphone 4 thickness to include a much better battery. 

 

I have a watch with a Safire face and I'll say, it still has no scratches despite the titanium taking some nice gouges from hitting the concrete at 15mph.

Why are you throwing your phone around at 15mph...

[Bogica]

Truth be told, they are asking 1000$ for it, so it should be made out of kevlar because the price of the hardware surely doesn't justify the 1000$ mark. I'm not saying Apple doesn't make quality phones or anything similar, iOS is fine, their products are good, but it is overpriced and that is a fact.

[Jaybird]

Please stop Apple.....no one cares if the iphone is the thinnest lightest phone around--almost everyone would be more than happy going back to iphone 4 thickness to include a much better battery.

Why are you throwing your phone around at 15mph...

You're an idiot, reread what I typed.

[Captain_Slow]

thats all a bunch of bs

 

sapphire is just too expensive to hit their target profit margins

 

period, end of paragraph.

 

I feel like if Jobs was still here we'd have an iphone with sapphire and bigger battery instead of that stupid bump on the camera.

[79wjd]

Your an idiot, reread what I typed.

you're*

[othertomperson]

It's generally a given when engineering a hard, ie scratch resistant, material the trade off is that it becomes more brittle. The same flexing and softness that absorb impacts are also what makes it easier to scratch. Hence the money spent on R&Ding things like Gorilla Glass which are trying to achieve both.

[rashdanml]

It's generally a given when engineering a hard, ie scratch resistant, material the trade off is that it becomes more brittle. The same flexing and softness that absorb impacts are also what makes it easier to scratch. Hence the money spent on R&Ding things like Gorilla Glass which are trying to achieve both.

One way around it is to use the impact resistant material, with a scratch-resistant coating. Poly-carbonate comes in both varieties (with/without scratch resistance). Doesn't work for all materials though, but gorilla glass is a good option (I've had no issues with screens randomly getting scratched while in my pocket). 

[Enderman]

Yeah because a .5mm thick sheet of sapphire will totally block out 50% of the light.

LOL

stupid excuses

[79wjd]

Yeah because a .5mm thick sheet of sapphire will totally block out 50% of the light.

LOL

stupid excuses

Actually it can make a difference....Try putting the average screen protector on your phone--it affects the brightness and colors of the screen quite a bit. 

[Tataffe]

thats all a bunch of bs

 

sapphire is just too expensive to hit their target profit margins

 

period, end of paragraph.

 

Congratulations, you perfectly represent one of this forum's biggest flaws.

 

Assuming there's no sarcasm in your post...

[qwertywarrior]

thats all a bunch of bs

 

sapphire is just too expensive to hit their target profit margins

 

period, end of paragraph.

 

I feel like if Jobs was still here we'd have an iphone with sapphire and bigger battery instead of that stupid bump on the camera.

im sure thats not the reason.

Apple already payed $578 million for GTAT to install and run its advanced sapphire growth furnaces in a plant built and owned by Apple.

[Wano97]

Truth be told, they are asking 1000$ for it, so it should be made out of kevlar because the price of the hardware surely doesn't justify the 1000$ mark. I'm not saying Apple doesn't make quality phones or anything similar, iOS is fine, their products are good, but it is overpriced and that is a fact.

Are they really asking 1000 dollars for this?

Anyways, just because its hardware isn't the best or anything doesn't mean it's overpriced. Hardware isn't everything, definitely not on a phone. Well of course on android this will make a difference, on iOS not quite as much

[othertomperson]

One way around it is to use the impact resistant material, with a scratch-resistant coating. Poly-carbonate comes in both varieties (with/without scratch resistance). Doesn't work for all materials though, but gorilla glass is a good option (I've had no issues with screens randomly getting scratched while in my pocket). 

 

Yeah. What I said was very "general case rule of thumb". As a result things that are less compromise, best-of-both-worlds tend to be expensive.

[Sousuke]

Scotty we need this:

 

 

Lets see who gets this reference?

[LegendKillerRG]

Sapphire this, sapphire that, we don't need sapphire. Just get a $10 tempered glass or screen protectors. I got a tempered glass on my iPhone with an anti-glare layer of screen protector(gives nice matte touches).

[seiny]

I have a watch with a Safire face and I'll say, it still has no scratches despite the titanium taking some nice gouges from hitting the concrete at 15mph.

That said, the Safire seems very very clear. The whole, requires more backlight, does not seem like a pertinent reason

But what's the difference between a watch and a phone

[79wjd]

Are they really asking 1000 dollars for this?

Anyways, just because its hardware isn't the best or anything doesn't mean it's overpriced. Hardware isn't everything, definitely not on a phone. Well of course on android this will make a difference, on iOS not quite as much

the 128gb 6+ is aorund $1000 (i believe). But, I feel like Apple targets the US over other countries as such the out of contract cost is less relevant since the big carriers in the US are all contract based. 

 

Scotty we need this:

 

-snip-

 

Lets see who gets this reference?

Lets kill all the whales and hurry the process along 

[Captain_Slow]

im sure thats not the reason.

Apple already payed $578 million for GTAT to install and run its advanced sapphire growth furnaces in a plant built and owned by Apple.

 

for the watch

 

not the phone

 

if they put sapphire on the phone they would have to sell it for more and they didnt feel like they could justify the price.

[jaggysnake57]

you're*

please dont be tht gy

[Sousuke]

the 128gb 6+ is aorund $1000 (i believe). But, I feel like Apple targets the US over other countries as such the out of contract cost is less relevant since the big carriers in the US are all contract based. 

 

Lets kill all the whales and hurry the process along 

 

Well to be honest we don't have Warp drive yet ... Lets hurry that along first :lol:

[79wjd]

Well to be honest we don't have Warp drive yet ... Lets hurry that along first :lol:

I'm pretty sure its already been decided that that only a Coaxial drive could work...due to the bitch called physics. 

[cesrai]

Are they really asking 1000 dollars for this?

Anyways, just because its hardware isn't the best or anything doesn't mean it's overpriced. Hardware isn't everything, definitely not on a phone. Well of course on android this will make a difference, on iOS not quite as much

Have you tried it don't make assumptions while you don't know anything better hardware is always better you point is invalid and for some reason lower end hardware that sells for almost the same as higher end hardware isn't overpriced wow just wow try to be logical.