Alleged iPhone 6 sapphire crystal display put through extreme torture tests

[Shawn Knight]

The proverbial iPhone rumor mill is now in full swing as we inch closer to what'll likely be an early September debut for Apple's next flagship smartphone. Despite the Cupertino-based company's best efforts, however, they're seemingly once again unable to keep everything under wraps ahead of the big reveal.

A new video from YouTuber Marques Brownlee puts the rumored sapphire crystal display from the iPhone 6 through the paces to test its anti-scratch properties. The component reportedly came directly from Apple's assembly line although there is no direct evidence to support this claim aside from the panel being supplied by Sonny Dickson.

As you'll see, however, the 4.7-inch panel in question held up against key scratches as well as the tip of a knife. Even trying to bend the display in half was uneventful as it simply wouldn't snap under his own power.

The clip's host also mentions the extreme clarity and thinness of the panel. After repeated tries, the only markings he was able to leave on the panel were fingerprints.

As the clip explains, sapphire crystal has a number of advantages over the toughened Gorilla Glass found on many phones today. But above all else, it's an extremely high quality material that is also very durable.

The component certainly looks the part in the video but if nothing else, perhaps it confirms that the sapphire crystal display won't be limited to the 5.5-inch model as was previously rumored.

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/57343-alleged-iphone-6-sapphire-crystal-display-put-through-extreme-torture-tests.html

 

[VitalyT]

It coincides with the new movie where monkeys get spanked also. What an irony...

 

[davislane1]

Hmm... Could it be that I might actually have a reason to take advantage of my free upgrade, now?

 

[Guest]

Of course a knife won't scratch it, not even gorilla glass will scratch with a knife. On the hardness scale a metal knife is soft. Try sand, it is everywhere and near the top of the hardness scale.

 

[Guest]

The above poster is spot on. I was careless and never put a screen protector on my iPhone 5s. It survived a year in my pocket, being pressed against keys, a pocketknife, etc - no scratches. I put it in my wife's beach bag during our trip to the beach - never took it out, mind you - and now it has hair-line scratches from the few grains of the fell into the bag and rubbed against the screen. CURSE YOU SAND!

 

[NeurotechHD]

That's pretty impressive. Interesting how the screen has sort of rounded edges, or so it seems - like it tapers even thinner at the edges.

 

[m4a4]

The corner impact test is the big one. Gorilla glass already does all of this pretty well, so it means little...

 

[NeurotechHD]

It looks like they may be getting rid of the hard-angled edge where the screen meets the body. That would be wonderful. That area on current devices has a little plastic flange or bevel.

Looks like the new design will create no seam between the screen and the body.

 

[highlander84]

I've never scratched the screen on my Phones... And I don't use a case or screen protector. I have a Note 3 since it released and no problems. I would be happier with a phone that won't break when dropped on the glass onto concrete from use height while walking.

 

[cmbjive]

I wonder why this glass doesn't make its way to cars.

 

[davislane1]

I've never scratched the screen on my Phones... And I don't use a case or screen protector. I have a Note 3 since it released and no problems. I would be happier with a phone that won't break when dropped on the glass onto concrete from use height while walking.

I've had an iPhone 4 for the past 3 1/2 years or so. I've dropped it on trails, from the pull-up bar in the gym, and right onto concrete; no problems. At least two screen protectors have earned their money in that time, though. As an earlier commenter mentioned, the real test will be how the new screen material holds up to sand and stones.

 

[mailpup]

I wonder why this glass doesn't make its way to cars.

Perhaps one day it will but auto manufacturers can't use any material they want for auto glass. Auto glass is federally regulated. Auto windshields are also an integral part of your passive (air bags) restraint system. The glass supports a deploying air bag and directs its deployment toward the passenger.

 

[SNGX1275]

If the sapphire glass has a hardness of real sapphire (which it may not..?) it will have no issue standing up to sand. Quartz (primary component of sand) has a hardness of 7. Sapphire has a hardness of 9. Most knives/keys will have a max hardness of 5.5.

Source: I'm a geologist and taught mineralogy lab in grad school.

 

[Jad Chaar]

Supposedly Samsung is looking to use Sapphire Crystal displays also, despite slamming Apple for using them...

On a good though, these results are promising!

 

[Burty117]

I wonder why this glass doesn't make its way to cars.

Perhaps one day it will but auto manufacturers can't use any material they want for auto glass. Auto glass is federally regulated. Auto windshields are also an integral part of your passive (air bags) restraint system. The glass supports a deploying air bag and directs its deployment toward the passenger.

I read an article about this, did you know Gorilla Glass was originally designed to be on vehicles? It couldn't be though as it turned out to be too hard, problem is, if the car turns over, and you need to escape by smashing the glass, Gorilla glass was considered too strong so regulators banned it.

Same goes for crashing the car, the glass was just to strong and posed a bigger risk to your safety than helping. Gorilla glass then found a home on mobile devices and the rest is history.

 

[Guest]

The display is most likely fused alumina not single crystal sapphire. By definition, glass is NOT crystalline. Fused alumina is definitely very hard but it may be more brittle than the chemically treated Gorilla Glass. Hardness doe NOT equate to toughness otherwise diamond would be the toughest naturally occurring material known. A diamond can easily be reduced to dust with a hammer.

 

[p51d007]

I bet you can almost do the same thing with Gorilla glass. These tests are misleading. When you bend that type of glass, yes, it will have enough tensile strength to bend. The problem obviously comes when you have a corner impact. Almost every drop video, or photo you see online, shows damaged screens with corner impact damage. Not as many screens, but some do, show damage where someone left it in a pants pocket and sat down on the phone. Both dropping or sitting on the device, just shows out stupid some people are. When not using it, put it in a case or purse, but, nope...the narcissistic nature of the human species these days is to hold it in your hand 24/7, because if you don't answer a tweet, FB update, text message 0.002 seconds after you receive it, someone may not "like" you.

 

[cmbjive]

I read an article about this, did you know Gorilla Glass was originally designed to be on vehicles? It couldn't be though as it turned out to be too hard, problem is, if the car turns over, and you need to escape by smashing the glass, Gorilla glass was considered too strong so regulators banned it.

Same goes for crashing the car, the glass was just to strong and posed a bigger risk to your safety than helping. Gorilla glass then found a home on mobile devices and the rest is history.

I didn't think about that. That said, wouldn't a carbon bit break Gorilla Glass or sapphire glass in much the same way as regular glass?

 

[davislane1]

I bet you can almost do the same thing with Gorilla glass. These tests are misleading. When you bend that type of glass, yes, it will have enough tensile strength to bend. The problem obviously comes when you have a corner impact. Almost every drop video, or photo you see online, shows damaged screens with corner impact damage. Not as many screens, but some do, show damage where someone left it in a pants pocket and sat down on the phone. Both dropping or sitting on the device, just shows out stupid some people are. When not using it, put it in a case or purse, but, nope...the narcissistic nature of the human species these days is to hold it in your hand 24/7, because if you don't answer a tweet, FB update, text message 0.002 seconds after you receive it, someone may not "like" you.

I never realized how utterly moronic I have been dropping my phone and putting it in my pocket. In light of this revelation about myself, I've made the conscious decision to be "smart" from this day forward. I may sacrifice a bit of convenience, but that is a small price to pay for the safety of my appropriately priced and completely necessary example of modern mobile technology. In today's world of greed, gluttony, avarice, and sexual promiscuity it's high time I stop talking a big game and actually play one. While I might not be able to fire up Real Racing 3, Flappy Bird or tweet about my environmentally friendly and perfectly brewed Starbucks coffee at a moment's notice, the time I lose indulging in these exercises of vanity and social lust will be more than compensated by the knowledge that my phone will be well protected and secure: http://www.brinksblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Brinks-Blog-42.jpg

 

[Skidmarksdeluxe]

It won't be long before all mobile manufacturers use it and not just Apple. I wonder if Corning makes it...