Skip to main content

Apple’s sapphire saga continues: Rumors point to Foxconn’s involvement

apple sapphire screen supplier gt advanced technologies files bankruptcy version 1413967235 bankrupt
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Apple usually gets what it wants from its production lines, come hell or high water. The most notable exception to this rule occurred in 2014, as GT Advanced Technologies proved incapable of living up to Apple’s demanding expectations for sapphire glass screens. The partnership ended in a nasty, public bankruptcy filing, in which GT accused Apple of making impossible demands. Although Apple’s first attempt at sapphire screens ended in disaster, it seems the company just won’t give up on the idea.

The latest manufacturer to be linked with Apple’s plans for sapphire screen production is Foxconn, Apple’s factory partner of choice for the manufacture of many iPhone components. An anonymous source told Cult of Mac that Foxconn expressed interest in producing sapphire glass for Apple in 2015. Although Foxconn doesn’t have any experience with sapphire glass, it is intimately familiar with Apple’s high expectations and tight schedules.

Foxconn also has a handful of patents for sapphire screens, including one for sapphire LCD displays, protective sapphire screen covers, different ways to grow sapphire, and a laser-cutting technique for sapphire substrates that saves time by eliminating the need to grind or polish the material.

If Foxconn does indeed partner with Apple to produce sapphire screens for the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus, which are expected to hit the market in September of 2015, the factory would need to get to work before the spring of 2015. Cult of Mac estimates that Apple will need “3,000 165kg producing sapphire furnaces, or 2,000 262kg producing furnaces” to keep up with demand for sapphire screen iPhones in 2015.

Regardless of what Foxconn decides on the question of sapphire screen production, it will undoubtedly have its hands full for the foreseeable future, building other materials for Apple products.

Editors' Recommendations

Malarie Gokey
Former Digital Trends Contributor
As DT's Mobile Editor, Malarie runs the Mobile and Wearables sections, which cover smartphones, tablets, smartwatches, and…
The best Apple iPhone 14 screen protectors for 2022
Apple iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus in purple and silver colors.

The iPhone 14 is here, with its stunning 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR display reinforced with Ceramic Shield glass. Despite its tough protection against drops and impact, you'll still want to invest in a screen protector to protect your phone screen from scratches, scuffs, and drops.

We've put together a list of the best iPhone 14 screen protectors currently available, including everything from ultra-protective tempered glass options to budget-friendly film protectors.

Read more
Apple’s Ceramic Shield may change your mind about an iPhone 14 screen protector
iPhone 13 Pro side view.

Just how much do you need a screen protector on your new iPhone 14? Screen protectors are like cases — we don’t always want to buy and use them but feel we should protect our investment from harm. But with that comes the expense, the awkwardness of fitting the things, and sometimes a change in the feel of the glass under our finger.

The iPhone 14 Pro uses a special type of protective glass Apple calls Ceramic Shield, which it says offers scratch resistance and four times the drop protection versus iPhone models without the special glass. Is there any point in fitting a screen protector to it, and if you don’t, what will your phone look like after a year? That’s what we’ve found out.
What is Ceramic Shield?
Ceramic Shield glass was introduced on the iPhone 12 series, was used on the iPhone 13 series, and is fitted to the new iPhone 14 models, too. It doesn’t matter whether you buy a regular iPhone 14, the iPhone 14 Pro, or the iPhone 14 Pro Max — it has Apple’s Ceramic Shield glass on the front. Like the familiar Gorilla Glass fitted on many Android devices, Apple’s Ceramic Shield has also been developed by experts at Corning.

Read more
The best Apple iPhone 13 screen protectors
The OLED display of the Apple iPhone 13.

The Apple iPhone 13 features Ceramic Shield glass, a screen upgrade that Apple says is tougher than any other smartphone glass, with four times the average level of protection against drops and impact. Despite that, Ceramic Shield glass isn't impervious to damage. We found the iPhone 12's Ceramic Shield can still get scratched and scuffed with moderate drops, so while it does provide added reinforcement, you may want to invest in a screen protector to preserve your phone's immaculate screen.

We've put together a list of the best iPhone 13 screen protectors available. This covers everything from multi-featured tempered glass protectors to more flexible and affordable film-based coverings.

Read more