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Amid Sapphire iPhone 6 Rumors, Kyocera Announces Plans for New Smartphone With Sapphire Display

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MacRumors

macrumors bot
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Apr 12, 2001
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Smartphone manufacturer Kyocera, known for its line of rugged phones, is developing a new smartphone that utilizes a sapphire display, according to new teaser video published today.

The video teases a product called "Sapphire Shield," which Kyocera says is a "truly affordable pure sapphire display." According to a Kyocera representative that spoke to MacRumors, Kyocera's Sapphire Shield display will be used in upcoming Kyocera smartphones, giving the devices a competitive edge when it comes to durability.

Kyocera is the first mainstream smartphone company to officially announce plans to utilize a sapphire display, but rumors have suggested that Apple is also planning to use a sapphire display in at least some models of the iPhone 6. Stress tests on the rumored front panel of the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 were published earlier this month showing the panel's extreme durability as it withstood scratching and bending, but it remains unclear if the front panel is indeed sapphire or the almost-equally-tough Gorilla Glass.

Major smartphone companies like LG have researched sapphire, but have largely said that sapphire is impractical due to the material's limited supply and its high cost. In a report last week, one smartphone representative suggested the only reason to use sapphire was for marketing purposes, given the much lower price of Gorilla Glass.

Currently, luxury smartphone manufacturer Vertu uses sapphire displays in devices that cost upwards of $10,000. Apple's partnership with GT Advanced, however, reportedly allows it to create sapphire at a much lower price point and Kyocera also claims that its own sapphire is "affordable."

Kyocera has not released details on when its sapphire-covered smartphone might debut, but we may get our first look at a mainstream sapphire smartphone later this year if Apple's upcoming iPhone 6, due to be introduced in September, does indeed utilize the material.

Article Link: Amid Sapphire iPhone 6 Rumors, Kyocera Announces Plans for New Smartphone With Sapphire Display
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2014/07/17/kyocera-teases-sapphire-smartphone/
840quadra

840quadra

Moderator
Staff member
Feb 1, 2005
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Quite interesting promotion and timing. I guess I don't quite understand the need to always call out "we're" first in the technology sector. My gripe also goes for Apple, I can think of quite a few technological firsts that were also implemented poorly, or ended up being failures due to being rushed.

I hope for the sake of both companies, Sapphire works well (If Apple indeed implements it).
 
aolbites

aolbites

macrumors member
Sep 27, 2012
63
37
Nantucket!! Can you not read?!?
I call bs on the point impact test, the sapphire glass smashed the rock, I'm doubting they were the same type of rock if one smashed so easily and the other one pierced the glass. Plus, what the heck is the last comparison, the phone on the left has just been cracked, but not in any way I've ever seen a phone cracked before, namely a spider webbing type crack...
 
A

absurdamerica

macrumors regular
Nov 14, 2011
158
0
shareef777 said:
So they're copying something that doesn't exist?
Click to expand...

These comments have been getting so absurd. "The phone can't be late, it hasn't been announced" "It doesn't exist until it's been officially unveiled (You know, despite the dozens of part leaks)".

Really?
 
Z

ZipZap

macrumors 603
Dec 14, 2007
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aolbites said:
I call bs on the point impact test, the sapphire glass smashed the rock, I'm doubting they were the same type of rock if one smashed so easily and the other one pierced the glass. Plus, what the heck is the last comparison, the phone on the left has just been cracked, but not in any way I've ever seen a phone cracked before, namely a spider webbing type crack...
Click to expand...

The point is the glass cracked. It always will crack. I have been touting Sapphire since before iPhone 5. Its just better. Its its good enough for 100K watches its the right product
 
T

TWSS37

macrumors 65816
Feb 4, 2011
1,107
232
absurdamerica said:
These comments have been getting so absurd. "The phone can't be late, it hasn't been announced" "It doesn't exist until it's been officially unveiled (You know, despite the dozens of part leaks)".

Really?
Click to expand...

Until something is confirmed to be real, it's ALWAYS just a rumor.
 
PowerBook-G5

PowerBook-G5

macrumors 65816
Jul 30, 2013
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I feel like by saying that the iPhone 6 may have a sapphire display i hurting their own product, seeing as the ip[hone is made by Apple, a better-known and trusted company. And I guess that everybody had their 2 hours of fun with the down vote button for the next few years :(
 
G

GeneralChang

macrumors 68000
Dec 2, 2013
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That drop test was pretty cool. I have doubts that the glass they were using is as durable as GG3, but still a cool test. I liked that the rock they threw the sapphire pane onto broke. Good demonstration of how hard sapphire is.

----------
absurdamerica said:
These comments have been getting so absurd. "The phone can't be late, it hasn't been announced" "It doesn't exist until it's been officially unveiled (You know, despite the dozens of part leaks)".

Really?
Click to expand...

I can’t speak to the existence vs. part leaks point, but I think it’s fair to say that a phone without a release date cannot be late. Not until they give it a release date. All we’ve heard so far is “a source has confirmed that they’re shooting for this general time period.” That’s hardly a release date.

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aolbites said:
I call bs on the point impact test, the sapphire glass smashed the rock, I'm doubting they were the same type of rock if one smashed so easily and the other one pierced the glass. Plus, what the heck is the last comparison, the phone on the left has just been cracked, but not in any way I've ever seen a phone cracked before, namely a spider webbing type crack...
Click to expand...

Well, it’s actually not surprising that sapphire would break whatever rock they were dropping it onto. I mean, sapphire is harder than about anything else out there aside from a few crystaline mineral structures. I think the point is you’d have to apply a pretty significant ammount of pressure on that pane to get it to break, and your average drop just won’t do it.
 
T

Tubamajuba

macrumors 68020
Jun 8, 2011
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here
If Apple planted a rumor that they were developing a screen made out of feces, we'd see manufacturers rushing to make deals with cattle farms.
 
kdarling

kdarling

macrumors P6
Jun 9, 2007
17,373
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First university coding class = 47 years ago
I think it's great that the rumors about Apple might have pushed others to reconsider. I also wouldn't be surprised if someone else figured out a less expensive way to grow sapphire in the next few years.

We all benefit, no matter what.

Now if only Apple would do take a similar hint from others, and do something about waterproofing.

It'd be pretty sweet to have phones that resist the most common damages.
 
C

cdmoore74

macrumors 68020
Jun 24, 2010
2,413
711
shareef777 said:
So they're copying something that doesn't exist?
Click to expand...

That’s the mentality here. When the iWatch is released 2 years from now just watch all the Samsung/LG/Motorola/Google has copied Apple remarks. How can you copy something based on rumors? I haven’t read anything official from Apple that their doing sapphire glass for the main displays. It isn’t official until they make it official.
 
S

Stosh68

macrumors newbie
Sep 19, 2012
12
0
TWSS37 said:
Do you actually believe this?
Click to expand...

Of course people believe this. This is Mac Rumors, people here would believe that Steve Jobs used to **** gold bricks if Apple put out a press release saying so.

Apple has been working on producing sapphire glass for at least several years, and still has not released a product with it. For Kyocera to put out a product with sapphire glass, it stands to reason that Kyocera has also been working on it for several years, long before either company made an official announcement.

People here actually believe that Apple invented sapphire glass, despite man made sapphire having been invented over 100 years ago and it being used in many watches and barcode scanners at place like grocery stores for years.
 
iPhysicist

iPhysicist

macrumors 65816
Nov 9, 2009
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kdarling said:
We all benefit, no matter what.

Now if only Apple would do take a similar hint from others, and do something about waterproofing.

It'd be pretty sweet to have phones that resist the most common damages.
Click to expand...

Unfortunately the manufacturer does benefit from damages. It results in repair costs or more sales because of a second sale.
 
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