Let’s begin by casting our minds back to the many times we have dropped our phones.
We’ve all done it, and the split second it takes for the device to hit the ground seems to pass by in slow motion. After the inevitable bump and bounce, we gather our nerves before bending over to retrieve the phone and survey the damage. We can only pray that the screen hasn’t been scratched – or worse, cracked.
While damaged displays continue to be the bane of the smartphone user, today’s phones are much more resilient than in days gone by. Before the launch of the original iPhone in 2007 we didn’t have the luxury of Corning’s Gorilla Glass technology protecting the majority of our phones. Indeed, before its launch we simply had to put up with weak and easily scratched, cracked, and broken screens.
Steve Jobs understood that this was a major source of frustration and ensured that this was not to be the case with the iPhone. It was at this point that Gorilla Glass gained mainstream popularity, and it is now used by most smartphone manufacturers. The technology has even trickled down to other segments including tablets, laptops and televisions.
With each new iteration of Gorilla Glass, Corning has delivered a lighter, thinner, more flexible and even stronger product. However, the one thing that we know to be true in the technology sector is that things are always changing, with vendors constantly searching for the next big thing – or in this case the next stronger thing.
Cue sapphire glass.
To put things into perspective, sapphire glass is the second-hardest mineral in the world after diamond. The Mohs Scale ranges from 1 to 10 and is tasked with rating the hardness of minerals. Gorilla Glass measures 6.8 on this scale, while sapphire glass boasts an outstanding 9.
Its potential benefits are obvious, but sapphire glass is nothing new; it’s been used on wristwatches for years. So why has there been so much noise about it of late?
Back in November last year, GT Advanced signed a deal to make sapphire displays for Apple products, sparking a wave of rumours that the new iPhone 6 would utilise this much more durable and stronger material. Needless to say, many consumers were left disappointed when Apple’s new flagship device was unveiled sans sapphire.
However, the much-anticipated Apple Watch did indeed sport this new tech. Watches are far more susceptible to scratches than phones, and in a move that has long been employed by luxury watchmakers the world over, Apple has opted to protect the fruits of its labour with sapphire glass. While we have yet to see an iPhone with sapphire glass, IDC believes that the new Apple Watch is a signal that the vendor is slowly moving away from its dependence on Gorilla Glass.
But why are we still waiting for a sapphire-glass iPhone? The commonly discussed disadvantages revolve around price, weight and optical clarity, and there are also a slew of manufacturing supply issues. The increased weight would only make the device more likely to break upon impact, as it would be less likely to bend and absorb the shock of a drop. Batteries would also take a hit, as increased brightness would have to be produced to make up for the lack of optical clarity.
However, the release of the Apple Watch suggests that the most inhibitive of these issues have been dealt with, at least to some extent. And as time passes, more and more vendors will board the sapphire glass bandwagon, thereby driving down the associated costs. The technology is already used on the iPhone’s home button and camera lens, while other vendors also use sapphire glass to protect their cameras. If after reading this you are eager to get your hands on a phone that boasts a full sapphire glass display, there are a few options out there. The latest example comes from Huawei, which has been making impressive gains in the Middle East market. The Huawei Ascend P7 Sapphire Edition is in essence a limited edition of the vendor’s popular Ascend P7 device. It will initially be released in China, but given the importance of the Middle East market to the vendor we may be fortunate enough to see the device arrive on our shores.
IDC expects more vendors to follow Huawei’s lead by releasing limited edition versions of their phones with sapphire glass displays. This understated approach will continue until all issues surrounding the tech are ironed out and costs come down to a level that provides vendors with a compelling business case for jumping fully on board. Until that time, sapphire glass may well find a place in the market but it will do little more than just scratch the surface.
Saad Elkhadem is a research Analyst at IDC MEA
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