So THAT’s why Apple didn't use sapphire screens! Source reveals handsets repeatedly failed drop tests
Sapphire screens were rumoured to be a feature on the iPhone 6
But the new handsets feature ‘ion-strengthened glass instead
Source claims Apple had to abandon its sapphire screens
They repeatedly cracked during tests carried out by Apple suppliers
Sapphire screens were the most wanted feature of the handset
Insurers have seen a 31% increase in damage claims in the past year
By Victoria Woollaston for MailOnline
Published: 10:38 GMT, 15 September 2014 | Updated: 12:38 GMT, 15 September 2014
Nearly every rumoured feature of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus turned out to be true, except one – the sapphire screen.
Instead Apple unveiled 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch handsets that both feature ‘ion-strengthened glass,’ during last week's launch.
And now reports claim the sapphire screens were set to be included on the new devices, but the plans had to be abandoned when they kept failing drop tests.
Sapphire screens were rumoured to be a feature on the iPhone 6 (left) and iPhone 6 Plus, (right) but the new handsets feature ‘ion-strengthened glass instead. Source claims Apple had to abandon its sapphire screens after they repeatedly cracked during tests carried out by Apple suppliers
Synthetic sapphire is a hard, transparent material made of crystallising aluminium oxide, produced at high temperatures.
As the material is heated, it forms disks that can be sliced using diamond-coated saws.
These round disks are ground into shape, and polished, to become glass.
The technology is traditionally used in watch displays because it is thin, super-strong and scratch resistant.
Apple already uses sapphire crystal in the Touch ID fingerprint scanner on its latest iPhone 5S and to protects the phone's camera.
As a result, sapphire glass could potentially replace Gorilla Glass currently used in most high-end smartphones.
IDC analyst Danielle Levitas told VentureBeat that recent supplier checks spotted ‘several reports of the sapphire failures.’
During standard drop tests, the screen was said to have repeatedly cracked, forcing Apple to resort to another method.
VentureBeat additionally reports that the decision to switch screens was made just weeks before the launch event.
A sapphire screen, however, was included on the Apple Watch and it is thought the smaller, 1.5-inch display wasn’t as fragile as the larger displays.
A recent survey from usell.com found that the sapphire screen was the most wanted new feature on the next-generation devices, among 45.5 per cent of customers.
This was higher than the number of people who wanted an improved battery life and larger screen.
Mobile phone insurance firm, Protect Your Bubble, has seen a 31 per cent increase in damage claims across the UK over the past year, and this has been linked to weak screens.
The only full sapphire-screened mobile phone currently available is the Vertu Signature Touch, a super-deluxe model that costs £6,750 in the UK and $11,300 in the US.
Aside from the drop test claims, Apple is also thought to have abandoned sapphire screens because of the technology’s price.
It’s estimated that a traditional glass screen costs a manufacturer around £1.80 per phone; a sapphire screen is believed to cost around £18.