The phrase
"sapphire display" refers to a type of screen used in electronic devices, like smartphones or watches, that is made from a strong and scratch-resistant material called sapphire. It means the screen is very durable and less likely to get scratched or damaged.
Full definition
South China Morning Post reports that Apple will release two versions of its next generation iPhone, with a 4.7 - inch and 5.5 - inch
sapphire display in September.
However that is not going to happen anytime soon as Vertu COO Perry Oosting in an interview with Swiss news site Tages - Anzeiger [Google Translation] revealed that Apple experimented
with sapphire displays, but found them unfeasible.
A new report has claimed that GT Advanced Technologies, which is expected to supply scratch resistant
sapphire displays for the iPhone 6, might only supply about 9 - 16 % of them.
The Wall Street Journal recently claimed that only the higher end models of both the models will
feature sapphire display.
According to several rumors, Apple will launch two new two versions of its next generation iPhone, with a 4.7 - inch and 5.5 -
inch sapphire display later this year.
It looked like Apple might do just that a couple of years ago when the company seemed to be investing in more
durable sapphire displays to replace traditional glass screens, but those efforts went belly up.
GT Advanced Technologies went bankrupt after Apple pulled out of the deal that would have
seen sapphire displays being employed on their next generation of phones and tablets.
With the new glass substrate, Corning will be looking to entice watchmakers away
from sapphire displays to its more affordable solution.
Apple and GTAT have also teamed up to open a
new sapphire display manufacturing unit in Arizona to meet demand sufficiently.
Also, the solar -
charging sapphire display seems like a more ideal solution for the iWatch, as it would mean that your smartwatch would get charged to extend battery life whenever you step out.
The Constellation has all of Vertu's typical calling cards, being handmade in England with a
polished sapphire display, fine leathers (just look at that blue one) and metal placed together with hand - turned screws on the back.
But the report notes that Apple is reevaluating using
sapphire displays due to improvements in the material and production technologies.
Dickson has also said that the earlier rumor that iPhone 6 will come with larger screen
with sapphire display may be true.
But with the iPhone 6, Apple is rumored to
use sapphire display to improve the device's durability and scratch resistance.
Along with the larger screen, the iPhone 6 may include a more
durable sapphire display, and the usual range of performance and camera improvements.
Currently, the only phone utilizing
the sapphire display is the ultra-luxury Vertu smartphone which retails for more than $ 3,000.
iPhone 6 rumors largely suggested Apple would use
a sapphire display cover in the device, but that turned out to be false.
The main differences between the two are that the Huawei Watch features a 42 mm round case (screen is 1.4 - inches in diameter and made of sapphire crystal) with a single button at the 2 o'clock position along the edge, whereas the Apple Watch has a 42 mm rectangle case (also with
a sapphire display) with a Digital Crown dial as well as a side button along the edge.
The Apple Watch uses
a sapphire display as the iPhone 6 was expected to do but didn't.
When you factor in
the sapphire display, cost of the components, and better - than - average (but still not for me) looks, it seems downright reasonable.
While the iPhone 6 didn't get
the sapphire display that everyone was hoping for, the Apple Watch did.
At its IFA press conference, Huawei announced the Ascend G7 — an affordable 5.5 - inch smartphone with an all - metallic chassis — and a special edition of the Ascend P7 with
a sapphire display.
Some reports suggest that
the sapphire display may only be included on the iPhone 6 model with the highest internal memory — either 64 GB or 128 GB, which would make the device very exclusive and expensive.
In that video he presented a display panel he said is
the sapphire display for the iPhone 6.
Reports from several analysts suggest that Apple may use
its sapphire display only in the high - end iPhone 6 models, citing supply issues for the mineral.
Huawei's Ascend P7 and P7 special edition proved that the company is bold enough to launch very powerful smartphones, and add special features like
a sapphire display to the mix.
Some analysts believe the new high - end iPhone 6 models may even come in a version offering 128 GB of internal memory — and they said the 64 GB and 128 GB versions most likely would have
a sapphire display, potentially pushing their prices up.
and is crafted of stainless steel, with
a sapphire display and a stainless steel body.
The report also claims that according to their sources Apple will use
the sapphire display in the iWatch.
While watching knives, nails, keys, change, and other hard items get scraped against
the sapphire display is one thing, we live in an era where the majority of our smartphone displays will survive those kinds of tests every single day of the week.
But ever since those first reports started to find their way online, it's been up in the air whether or not Apple would actually implement
the sapphire display in their upcoming handsets.
That may no longer be the case, though, as a new report from Taiwan's Economic Daily News states that Apple may be forced to use
the sapphire display in only the 5.5 - inch variant, while the 4.7 - inch model would come to market with Corning's Gorilla Glass on board.
We've heard for quite some time that the next iPhone, whatever size it may be, will feature
a sapphire display.
The phone's
sapphire display is also kicked up to 5.2 - inches with a 1080p resolution, and there's a 3,160 mAh battery inside powering the whole thing.
Corning announced today that it is working on a new type of glass for screens that is almost as scratch - resistant as
sapphire displays (such as that on the Kyocera Brigadier, pictured above), while retaining the durability of its Gorilla Glass.
Ever since Apple confirmed that the company was planning to setup a sapphire glass production facility in Mesa, Arizona with GT Advanced Technologies, there have been rumors that the next generation iPhone will feature
a sapphire display to improve durability.
Last year, we heard that Apple had hired a number of Vertu employees to work on the project that experimented with
sapphire displays, but found them unfeasible.