The camera lens are made by Sony, the whole camera module is made by Sony. This is for the iWatch. You dont drop the watch, but you will scratch it asap, so its logical. What is not logical is thinking that Apple will maintain 700+ emplyees just for the glass over the touch ID or the camera. It must be something way bigger and crucial for a certain product.
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Apple to Build Sapphire Glass Manufacturing Plant in Arizona
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swingerofbirch
macrumors 68040
Yup. MR uses the oldest pics... over and over again. The pic they use for every iWatch rumor is some abomination that is unlike anything Apple would ever make.
A spaceship has already landed next to that building! See for yourself.
http://goo.gl/maps/6PLVF
Rocketman
http://goo.gl/maps/6PLVF
Rocketman
I think this is for the next iWatch. A watch is exposed to harsher punishment than a smartphone, so the glass needs to be much more scratch resistant. Sapphire crystal is already being used in jewelry watches.
Sapphire is 9 on the Moh scale while diamond is a 10. This will be significantly better than anything GG offers.
Sapphire is 9 on the Moh scale while diamond is a 10. This will be significantly better than anything GG offers.
Is that an old race track right next to it?
Its gotta be an old automotive testing field.
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Sort of. It was the GM proving grounds from sometime in the '50's until about 3 years ago. The tracks have all been torn out over the last 4 years, but you can still see the outlines in the satellite photos.
http://www.azcentral.com/closeup/articles/0612gmproving0612.html
I suspect Apple has something other than camera optics or a replacement for Gorilla Glass in mind.
Sapphire is rarely used for optics except as windows. It can't be molded, it's expensive to grind, and it's birefringent. The window on the iPhone camera is so small, it hardly seems like Apple would invest in a dedicated production facility to meet their needs.
Gorilla Glass is less expensive than sapphire and much tougher. Right now, it seems that Gorilla Glass's scratch resistance is good enough, but what's needed is even more toughness than sappier can offer.
Sapphire is used in the manufacture of high power electronics such as radio transmitters, and in the manufacture of high brightness LEDs. While either of these could be important enough to Apple to justify the investment, I suspect the application will tun out to be LEDs for display backlights.
LED backlights show up in every mobile product. The power to run those backlights impacts product size, weight, cost and battery life. And a high tech backlight might be critical to the long rumored Apple TV. They may also have a place in an improved camera flash.
I think improved LED's are exactly the sort of thing that would justify a strategic investment.
Sapphire is rarely used for optics except as windows. It can't be molded, it's expensive to grind, and it's birefringent. The window on the iPhone camera is so small, it hardly seems like Apple would invest in a dedicated production facility to meet their needs.
Gorilla Glass is less expensive than sapphire and much tougher. Right now, it seems that Gorilla Glass's scratch resistance is good enough, but what's needed is even more toughness than sappier can offer.
Sapphire is used in the manufacture of high power electronics such as radio transmitters, and in the manufacture of high brightness LEDs. While either of these could be important enough to Apple to justify the investment, I suspect the application will tun out to be LEDs for display backlights.
LED backlights show up in every mobile product. The power to run those backlights impacts product size, weight, cost and battery life. And a high tech backlight might be critical to the long rumored Apple TV. They may also have a place in an improved camera flash.
I think improved LED's are exactly the sort of thing that would justify a strategic investment.
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Wow, this is a pretty weird structure.
So, GT Advanced is going to be taking a loan from Apple to buy the equipment, then making sapphire using it in Apple's building in return for exclusive component access to Apple?
Those new employees will be GT employees, not Apple employees.
Why not just spin off a fully or partially-owned subsidiary to produce the components? It would diversify Apple's income which provides security for investors, while Apple essentially buys the sapphire at cost-price or at a large discount (due to owning all or a large stake of the profits resulting from their sale to Apple)?
So, GT Advanced is going to be taking a loan from Apple to buy the equipment, then making sapphire using it in Apple's building in return for exclusive component access to Apple?
Those new employees will be GT employees, not Apple employees.
Why not just spin off a fully or partially-owned subsidiary to produce the components? It would diversify Apple's income which provides security for investors, while Apple essentially buys the sapphire at cost-price or at a large discount (due to owning all or a large stake of the profits resulting from their sale to Apple)?
The difference here is that the glass is one of the most important aspects of the design, durability, and usability of phones. When Corning makes their next breakthrough, who will have preferential treatment? Apple (the nice customer) or Samsung (the large shareholder)?
They're not a majority shareholder, and all the other shareholders will prefer to sell to the customer who pays the most.
If Samsung want to control the business of the company, they need a controlling interest. Until that point their interest is purely financial.
That's not to say it's not a good investment for Samsung - Corning are a growing company, and most (if not all) of the smartphone industry uses their glass. As the smartphone industry grows, Corning will grow with it, and Samsung will profit from their investment (which is a bonus if Samsung keep up their market lead, and a saving grace if they don't).
Strange to see such a liberal and tolerant employer locating in an anti-gay, anti-immigrant state which is also very intolerant towards the rights of women. A state so far to the right wing that it is probably the most reactionary state in America.
Not saying it's not a good move, it just seems like an odd pairing. Making sapphire is enormously energy intensive; cost of electricity would be a major consideration. Saw it happening at the Saphikon plant in Milford, NH some years ago. It's owned by St Gobain now. Furnaces run at about 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit if I remember correctly.
Sapphire is an amazing substance. Extremely hard an durable with extraordinary optical properties. It's use is bound to increase.
Not saying it's not a good move, it just seems like an odd pairing. Making sapphire is enormously energy intensive; cost of electricity would be a major consideration. Saw it happening at the Saphikon plant in Milford, NH some years ago. It's owned by St Gobain now. Furnaces run at about 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit if I remember correctly.
Sapphire is an amazing substance. Extremely hard an durable with extraordinary optical properties. It's use is bound to increase.
Based on that temperature, they won't even need to heat it that far above ambient air here in May-August.
Are Apple just going "crazy" with building stuff that should be in an art museum ?
Time for Apple to hang up their shoes, and say "Its not about the outside, ts about the inside that counts"
I wouldn't care less what the outside looked like, just as long its Apple.
I bet Microsoft people are laughing like hell over the amount Tim blew away on this one.
I know their products are fashionable, but why do their buildings have to be too ? Its only a building, not a $50,000 mansion. ...
Time for Apple to hang up their shoes, and say "Its not about the outside, ts about the inside that counts"
I wouldn't care less what the outside looked like, just as long its Apple.
I bet Microsoft people are laughing like hell over the amount Tim blew away on this one.
I know their products are fashionable, but why do their buildings have to be too ? Its only a building, not a $50,000 mansion. ...
"I bet Microsoft people are laughing like hell over the amount Tim blew away on this one."
Not as much as Tim is laughing at MS for the fiasco known as Surface which caused MS to record a $1 billion write-down.
Yes, surprisingly large labor force for what would seem to be mostly a robotic kind of production.
The plant they bought seems to have specialized equipment. I suspect it would have been a deal in any state.
Wow, a lot of heat to generate with renewable resources. Maybe a giant mesquite BBQ...
The plant they bought seems to have specialized equipment. I suspect it would have been a deal in any state.
Wow, a lot of heat to generate with renewable resources. Maybe a giant mesquite BBQ...
Hmm, just imagine the cost of a 9" iPad with sapphire crystal front glass.... seems utterly pointless to me as Gorilla Glass is very good and thin and lightweight and a damn site cheaper. Then again maybe they will only make the glass for an iWatch or iPhones? But that will still add more price to the devices, plus it will cost more to make in America.
I see plusses and minuses with this one.
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hmm wonder how much all those faulty battery's or graphics cards or screen replacements have cost Apple? Ooh lets not forget the faulty Time Capsules too they had to replace..
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Just need to win the lottery to buy one.
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hahahahahahahahahahahaha you DO know what is actually made in America right? BMW's for one.
I see plusses and minuses with this one.
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hmm wonder how much all those faulty battery's or graphics cards or screen replacements have cost Apple? Ooh lets not forget the faulty Time Capsules too they had to replace..
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Just need to win the lottery to buy one.
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Just wait until the prices of your iPhones/iPads goes up.
The US is not a manufacturing country and we shouldn't want to be--those are menial jobs for the oversees. We are an innovative technology country
hahahahahahahahahahahaha you DO know what is actually made in America right? BMW's for one.
I'd love to see another iPhone 4-esque design that has sapphire so it won't shatter or scratch. I'd also love to see sapphire crystal completely replace glass in electronics.