More and more evidences suggest that Apple will use Sapphire glass as a protective cover in its new iPhone 6.
Up until now, mobile companies opt for Gorilla Glass 3 protection to the display of their devices. Will Apple revolutionize the market once more and bring something new to the table? One can only hope.
However, not all new Apple devices will get the rumored Sapphire glass. The reason is simple. It costs too much. Sapphire glass is an expensive and rather costly luxury. One can argue that smartphones don’t need it. However, Apple wants to differentiate from other manufacturers and the company has always strived for premium and luxurious feel. Rumors suggest that only the 5.5 inch version of the new iPhone 6 will get the Sapphire glass and one of the versions in the smaller size. Experts believe that to be the 64 GB version; which should serve as an experiment and see how users react to the higher price and the benefits they get from the usage of Sapphire glass. Other versions of iPhone 6 will continue to use Gorilla Glass 3.
Price
As we mentioned, Sapphire glass is very expensive, and this translates to the price of the devices also being higher. The expected price for the 4.7 inch version is around $1000, while the one for the 5.5 inch version is in the range of $1200-1300.
Is sapphire glass really unbreakable?
The truth is, sapphire is indeed one of the hardest materials found on the planet. It can be scratched only by diamond, making it safe from scratches in the user’s pocket. Consumers can rest assured that their phone is safe in their pockets, no matter if they have anything else in there, like keys for example.
The advantage of Gorilla Glass is that it is more flexible. This makes it durable against cracks. Sapphire on the other hand, is more brittle, and there is a chance it will be more prone to cracks. And if the phone’s display cracks, it will spread even more quickly than on glass screen. The bottom line, however, is that sapphire is built to last. And as the process of producing sapphire becomes easier and less expensive, we can expect to see it on more and more handsets.
Downsides of Sapphire glass
Scientists can confirm that sapphire is more reflective than glass. Or put it in number, glass transmits 90% of the light and sapphire transmits around 80%. What does that mean? In its essence, it means that sapphire display will have even more problems when exposed to the sun. Smartphones already have troubles with the display outdoors, in sunny and bright conditions. Sapphire only enhances this problem. Since users lose around 12% of light with sapphire, it will be harder to see outdoors.
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