Apple scuttlebutt spurs Samsung to seek sapphire solutions for smartphones
The ever-present rumors that Apple will move from Corning's Gorilla Glass to a new screen covering based on sapphire in its next-generation iPhone are said to have caused South Korean competitors Samsung and LG to look at the material more closely, according to a Friday report.
Apple-GT Advanced sapphire manufacturing plant in Arizona.
Both companies are thought to have evaluated sapphire last year as well, eventually passing on it for cost reasons. Word of the Asian conglomerates' about-face came from Korea's etnews.com and was first noticed by GforGames.
As a result of Apple's widely-anticipated move -- made ever more likely by the company's $578 million investment in an Arizona sapphire facility -- Samsung and LG have asked Asian sapphire manufacturers to provide new samples for consideration. It would likely take at least one year before Samsung could adopt the material, with the company's new flagship Galaxy S5 handset being released only last month.
Many Apple watchers believe that the iPhone maker's sapphire play is not meant for smartphones or tablets, but instead for the so-called "iWatch." Sapphire is a common component in watches thanks to its exceptional scratch resistance, but it is ultimately extremely brittle, rendering it susceptible to shattering when dropped.
Still others think that Apple is aiming its investment at a more utilitarian need. Each of the nearly 200 million iOS devices sold each year ships with a sapphire lens on its rear-facing camera, while the material also forms the touch surface of the iPhone 5s's Touch ID system, which is likely to make its way to the iPad this year.
Apple-GT Advanced sapphire manufacturing plant in Arizona.
Both companies are thought to have evaluated sapphire last year as well, eventually passing on it for cost reasons. Word of the Asian conglomerates' about-face came from Korea's etnews.com and was first noticed by GforGames.
As a result of Apple's widely-anticipated move -- made ever more likely by the company's $578 million investment in an Arizona sapphire facility -- Samsung and LG have asked Asian sapphire manufacturers to provide new samples for consideration. It would likely take at least one year before Samsung could adopt the material, with the company's new flagship Galaxy S5 handset being released only last month.
Many Apple watchers believe that the iPhone maker's sapphire play is not meant for smartphones or tablets, but instead for the so-called "iWatch." Sapphire is a common component in watches thanks to its exceptional scratch resistance, but it is ultimately extremely brittle, rendering it susceptible to shattering when dropped.
Still others think that Apple is aiming its investment at a more utilitarian need. Each of the nearly 200 million iOS devices sold each year ships with a sapphire lens on its rear-facing camera, while the material also forms the touch surface of the iPhone 5s's Touch ID system, which is likely to make its way to the iPad this year.
Comments
And smart watches...
Once again we see that Apple has the balls and intellect to do something new. Once they prove it can be done, the unimaginative cowards at Samsung and the like act like "oh, but phone manufacturers have always used sapphire." I hope they (the Korean copyists) blow their money on this and find out they don't have the IP to pull it off well.
I miss alliteration in newspaper article titles.
Once again we see that Apple has the balls and intellect to do something new. Once they prove it can be done, the unimaginative cowards at Samsung and the like act like "oh, but phone manufacturers have always used sapphire." I hope they (the Korean copyists) blow their money on this and find out they don't have the IP to pull it off well.
They'll give the excuse they gave a long time ago when they copied Apple in the first place, I think it was something along the lines of a logical progression.
Samsung, the leading follower.
Yup, it's the leading by following/innovating by copying leadership Samsung has.
We used to use Microsoft for things like this, but Samsung took MS's place.
Yup, it's the leading by following/innovating by copying leadership Samsung has.
We used to use Microsoft for things like this, but Samsung took MS's place.
True. It's probably more fair to say that Samsung is copying MS, because MS was famous for weak imitations of Apple innovations, and now Samsung has assumed that role. It's also kind of funny and interesting that nobody even cares about MS copying Apple anymore. That's how far MS has fallen. But I think they may also be trying to copy less.
I just want them more accurate. Apple's $578M investment is not what I would call scuttlebutt.
This reminds me of the TouchID feature Apple introduced. Samsung was forced to follow but even went so far as to admit their solution wasn’t as sophisticated as Apple’s. Also made perfectly clear is that Apple’s competitors pay close attention to what the company is up to. So much for the iHater’s memes about lack of innovation and decent into irrelevancy. Competitors don’t think Apple is irrelevant, not by a long shot.
Sapphire and plastic bandaids don't go together well.
I honestly wish Apple's competitors would follow Apple more closely so that more products could be made with better care and quality. So far it seems their interest stops being just enough to add an item to a spec sheet without any consideration for making it a better UX. I'd like to see that aspect of Apple copied as 1) it's one thing Apple can't own, and 2) we'll get better products all around.
Samsung S6's new sapphire alternative made out from plastic
I can't wait to buy my "almost iPhone" from the cheapest commodity electronics manufacturer. /s