Apple has reportedly received patent approval for a new kind of display material technology in the form of Sapphire glass. The Cupertino Calif. tech company has had rumors circulating around it for a while that it is flirting with the concept of larger screens on the upcoming sixth installment in its flagship lineup of smartphones, the iPhone, and this new display technology could be hinting at just that.
The patent describes various methods for attaching sapphire crystal to electronic devices and includes a description of how it does this with the sapphire glass covering the iPhone camera lens introduced with the iPhone 5, according to AppleInsider. In addition, the patent covers a means for attaching the sapphire as a cover for the whole display.
Previous incarnations of the iPhone included Gorilla Glass in order to protect its screen. However, some believe it may have stopped using that type of glass in recent months. Apple has made this tech the default choice for smartphone OEMs looking for a tough and scratch resistant glass covering for their smartphone's screens according to TechCrunch.
Apple reportedly made a $578 million bet on sapphire with GT Advanced Technologies to have it build a manufacturing plant for the material in the state of Arizona.
TechCrunch's Matthew Panzarino took a closer look at the investment and looked at a few benefits that sapphire glass has over Gorilla Glass. For starters, Sapphire is much tougher and more resistant to scratches and breaks after scratches. In addition, the Sapphire glass is a bit heavier, meaning Apple could use thinner pieces for both space and weight savings.
It's worth noting that Sapphire Glass is typically used on high-end wrist watches to prevent the face from breaking. While Apple's latest patent shows the technology illustrated onto an iPhone-like smartphone device, it's possible that Apple could be thinking about using the new glass tech on its rumored iWatch wearable wrist accessory, which has reportedly been in development for several months.
At this time, it's most likely that Apple is simply laying the groundwork to switch to Sapphire Glass in the near future. However, the company is nothing if not capable of surprising its fans and the tech community at large.
