Video shows supposed 4.7-inch 'iPhone 6' display scratched by sandpaper, suggests not sapphire

Posted:
in iPhone edited August 2014
In a video posted to YouTube late Friday, a part purported to be Apple's "iPhone 6" cover glass was again exposed to a torture test, this time failing to resist scratches from garnet sandpaper, a material softer than sapphire.


Source: Marques Brownlee via YouTube


As seen in the above screenshot, the part supposedly bound for Apple's iPhone 6 shows surface scratches after being rubbed by garnet sandpaper, suggesting the glass is not made of sapphire. In the video, YouTuber Marques Brownlee also shows the cover glass failing to resist scratches from emery sandpaper, which is much harder than garnet.

Brownlee goes on to explain the Mohs scale of relative hardness, noting a material with a higher rating cannot be scratched by one assigned a lower number. For example, sapphire -- rated 9 out of 10 on the Mohs scale -- cannot be scratched by garnet, which is a 7. Emery is a mixture of corundum and magnetite and is assigned an 8 on the Mohs scale.

The only mineral harder than sapphire, itself a form of corundum, is diamond with a relative hardness of 10 on the Mohs scale.

Further proving his point, Brownlee takes the same sandpaper to the iPhone 5s, known to sport a screen made from Corning's Gorilla Glass. While the display area is easily scratched, the sapphire-covered Touch ID home button comes out unscathed.



With this latest test, it appears the alleged 4.7-inch iPhone 6 part is not made of sapphire as many have speculated, and Brownlee himself stated as fact in a previous video.

At this time, the material used to make the cover glass is unknown, though Brownlee proposes Apple has employed a sapphire laminate patent to create a "composite involving sapphire." That specific IP, however, describes a method of fabrication specifically designed to overcome the type of surface scratches seen in the video, while at the same time offering superior flexibility and impact resistance.

Another important question to ask is whether the component is even a legitimate Apple part. The answer should come this fall when the company is expected to debut its next-generation iPhone lineup.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 71
    philboogiephilboogie Posts: 7,675member

    Another important question to ask is whether the component is even a legitimate Apple part. The answer should come this fall when the company is expected to debut its next-generation iPhone lineup.

    Not really, as I presume they would test many materials before deciding on one. So all leaks we have seen might be from a new iPhone even if the parts shown aren't in the new model. Remember, they are also proud of the products they didn't release.
  • Reply 2 of 71
    iPhone 6 Sapphire vs Arrow (feat. Joe Rogan):
  • Reply 3 of 71
    bergermeisterbergermeister Posts: 6,784member

    The part could also be a mock up built after having seen the real thing, so it may look right, but not be right.

     

     

    Also, I hate to do this, but this kind of mistake appears in articles on news sites far too often (yep, even over on CNN):

     

    This sentence:

     

    "In a video posted to YouTube late Friday, a part purported to be Apple's "iPhone 6" cover glass was again exposed torture test, this time failing to resist scratches from garnet sandpaper, a material softer than sapphire."

     

    should read:

     

    "In a video posted to YouTube late Friday, a part purported to be Apple's "iPhone 6" cover glass was again exposed to a torture test, this time failing to resist scratches from garnet sandpaper, a material softer than sapphire."

     

     

    Unless British English does not require it?  Or has American English evolved to no longer require it?

    In a comment in a thread, I don't worry about it.  In a news article, yeah, I think it's a big deal.  How did it get past a basic grammar checker?  BTW, grammar checkers are not perfect and need a human eye for final proofing.

     

    Edit: made my correction easier to comprehend after the article had been fixed.  

  • Reply 4 of 71
    MarvinMarvin Posts: 15,310moderator
    It's probably because it's one of those Goophone parts:

    http://www.macrumors.com/2014/07/16/wico-goophone-iphone-6-clones/


    [VIDEO]


    [VIDEO]


    You can see the curved edges on the glass in those videos. There's no way the knockoff manufacturers could use sapphire. Also, you can see the differences in the front camera holes from the way Apple designs them.

    This happened with the iPhone 5 and they got some of the design right before the iPhone 5 launched but it was a little off:

    [IMG ALT=""]http://forums.appleinsider.com/content/type/61/id/45935/width/500/height/1000[/IMG]

    They didn't make a unibody part for the middle so it had a seam round the outside. When the iPhone 5 actually arrived, they updated the design:

    [IMG ALT=""]http://forums.appleinsider.com/content/type/61/id/45936/width/500/height/1000[/IMG]

    If the same is to be expected this time round, the size should be accurate as well as some of the general styling but it might not be 100% accurate in style to what the iPhone 6 will be.
  • Reply 5 of 71
    sockrolidsockrolid Posts: 2,789member
    But [I][B]will it blend?[/B][/I]

    (Hint: it always blends.)

    [URL=http://willitblend.com/videos/iphone-5s]http://willitblend.com/videos/iphone-5s[/URL]
  • Reply 6 of 71
    asciiascii Posts: 5,936member

    Good video. Scientific and clearly explained (until the bow and arrow bit, don't know what that proved).

  • Reply 7 of 71
    Of course it's not sapphire.
    All those leak of front glass could come from the "knockoff" iPhone 6 devices. (I found it weird that no one buy one and open it. )

    While Apple don't really have control on OEM factory, they do have the number of parts made in computer.
    You really think they won't notice how many sapphire panel disappear from Apple-owned factory to be tested by sandpapers, fire and cars?

    Besides, while most of the parts of iPhone are come from China, nothing valuable you could see from leak.
    CPU, main board soldering, and CNC body could be done in US, Mac Pro factory, and Jony Ive office.
    Display come from Japanese factory, which famous for keeping secret. And if they switch to the MacBook Pro display design, they don't even need to glue the display with sapphire.
    And the whole assembly process? Remember the Foxconn robot and their Brazil factory? Don't they need to be tested before adopting in every Foxconn factory?
  • Reply 8 of 71
    lkrupplkrupp Posts: 10,557member

    Shoot! Just when I thought Apple was doing well suddenly they’re doomed once more. Turns out if you try hard enough you can damage anything. Watch for the Samsung commercial coming soon.

  • Reply 9 of 71
    wood1208wood1208 Posts: 2,905member
    Only Apple knows screen is sapphire or not. Until official product announcement, they are just rumors/fake, no truth. Best thing is if you are in market to buy new large screen phone, just wait couple of months to see iphone 6 unless you are loaded or impulsive or not normal.
  • Reply 10 of 71
    justp1ayinjustp1ayin Posts: 213member
    I didn't watch the video but I need to know. If I was under bow and arrow attack, would I be able to use my iPhone 6 as a shield?
  • Reply 11 of 71
    SpamSandwichSpamSandwich Posts: 33,407member
    So the supposedly VERY RELIABLE Sonny Dickson* is actually just another big phony? Hahahaha!

    *He gave this component to Marquez Brownlee.
  • Reply 12 of 71
    sloaahsloaah Posts: 24member
    > Also, I hate to do this, but this kind of mistake appears in articles on news sites far too often (yep, even over on CNN):

    > "In a video posted to YouTube late Friday, a part purported to be Apple's "iPhone 6" cover glass was again exposed to a torture test, this time failing to resist scratches from garnet sandpaper, a material softer than sapphire."

    Maybe I'm being thick, but what's wrong with this grammatically?
  • Reply 13 of 71
    jccjcc Posts: 326member
    They're using the most current gorilla glass. Nothing out of the ordinary here.
  • Reply 14 of 71
    rogifanrogifan Posts: 10,669member
    So the supposedly VERY RELIABLE Sonny Dickson* is actually just another big phony? Hahahaha!

    *He gave this component to Marquez Brownlee.
    Did Sonny Dickson ever claim the part was sapphire? Or did Brownlee make that assumption after his first torture tests?
  • Reply 15 of 71
    oberpongooberpongo Posts: 182member
    So Maybe there will be two iphone 6 4.7. One iPhone Air with The usual Sapphire Glass and a iPhone Pro with Sapphire glass and some other nice features. ????
  • Reply 16 of 71
    mac_128mac_128 Posts: 3,454member
    I would presume if Apple is going to offer a sapphire screen, they would only do it on one model -- the premium flagship. I have to imagine the rush would be such that keeping sapphire models in stock would be extremely difficult as it is, much less offering it on two different models.
  • Reply 17 of 71
    negafoxnegafox Posts: 480member
    I do not believe tech sites and some other Apple fan sites are taking the Sapphire rumors seriously due to production costs. Supposedly such displays are still prohibitively expensive.
  • Reply 18 of 71
    SpamSandwichSpamSandwich Posts: 33,407member
    rogifan wrote: »
    Did Sonny Dickson ever claim the part was sapphire? Or did Brownlee make that assumption after his first torture tests?

    I believe the claim by Dickson was that it was an iPhone 6 screen.
  • Reply 19 of 71
    sockrolid wrote: »
    But will it blend?

    (Hint: it always blends.)

    http://willitblend.com/videos/iphone-5s

    Seriously, that guy from BlendTec is so dedicated, his will states that when he dies, his _____ __ __ __ _______ and the video posted on YouTube.

    (Who wants to play Wheel of Fortune?) ;)
  • Reply 20 of 71
    oberpongo wrote: »
    So Maybe there will be two iphone 6 4.7. One iPhone Air with The usual Sapphire Glass and a iPhone Pro with Sapphire glass and some other nice features. ????

    The pro model will be called iPhone Quadra 8347, to distinguish it from the plebeian iPhone Centris 6350, and the cheap plastic iPhone Classic II LC 4400. Apple needs to make the buying decision dead simple.
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