iPad iPad Air 2 sapphire camera lens?

[dkl]

I was just wondering if the iPad Air 2's camera lens is made of sapphire? I love to use my iPad naked (I'm referring to the iPad, that is...) and tend to toss it into my briefcase unprotected when I'm on the go. My current iPad 2 has a few scratches on the screen which doesn't really bother me, but the lens appear to be scratch-free for now. I'll sure like to know if the iPad Air 2 camera lens is made of the virtually un-scratchable sapphire just like my iPhone 5s - which, by the way, also stays naked in my pocket.

 

[maflynn]

With Apple's main supplier of sapphire in bankruptcy, and winding down operations, I'm kind of thinking it may not be made of sapphire.

 

[Traverse]

I agree. The cost of obtaining the sapphire us most likey too high and all inventory must go the iPhone first.

 

[mcdj]

Being that an iPad doesn't go in and out of a pocket 50 times a day, sapphire on an iPad camera is overkill. if you get scratches on an iPad camera, chances are the rest of the iPad has much worse damage than scratches.

 

[cfedu]

I think there might be an oversupply of sapphire on the market all those boules returned that were meant for Iphone 6 production could supply lense covers for all iOS devices for years. With GT and Apple settling the other day, I'm sure Apple secured supplies from the batches of already cooking Sapphire if they needed the supply at all.

 

[dkl]

Being that an iPad doesn't go in and out of a pocket 50 times a day, sapphire on an iPad camera is overkill. if you get scratches on an iPad camera, chances are the rest of the iPad has much worse damage than scratches.

It does, however, go in and out of my briefcase couple of times a day. My current iPad 2 IS in a pretty bad shape with scratches on the screen and the aluminium back. No dents though, as it was never dropped. I don't care for these light cosmetic nicks. They don't affect usability. But a scratched camera lens WILL degrade the usability of the iPad.

That said, I'm now wondering the same for the TouchID lens on the iPad - sapphire too?

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I agree. The cost of obtaining the sapphire us most likey too high and all inventory must go the iPhone first.

I think the cost of a large, perfect sapphire piece is high. All that high-cost that led to GT going bankrupt went to their attempt to manufacture large sapphire pieces for the iPhone front screen. But for the size of the iPad (or even the iPhone) camera lens, it's **significantly** cheaper as yields tend to be exponentially higher for smaller sizes. Very much like how a 1.0ct diamond does not merely cost 10-times more than a 0.1ct one.

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That said, I'm now wondering the same for the TouchID lens on the iPad - sapphire too?

I feel silly answering my own question... but yes - Apple confirms it's sapphire on the TouchID....

https://www.apple.com/ipad-air-2/touch-id/

 

[sviato]

I don't think the iPads ever had sapphire lens covers. Looking at Apple's website, the iPhone specs specify that there's a sapphire lens cover while the iPad specs have no mention of it.