Apple's plans to use sapphire glass for iPhone 6 display may be on hold, says JP Morgan analyst Rod Hall.
If you have been excited about the debut of the new iPhone 6 with sapphire display next month, be prepared for some disappointment. Rumors of a sapphire-screened iPhone created a buzz in the tech industry. But in the latest investors note on Monday, a copy of which was obtained by AppleInsider, JP Morgan analyst Rod Hall did not vote in favor of Apple releasing its next iPhone model with sapphire display anytime this year.
Hall did not rule out the option completely; he hopes to see a limited number of handsets with sapphire glass.
News of Apple's decision to use sapphire material for iPhone 6 display has been making the rounds for several months now. Wall Street Journal reported last week that an iPhone with a screen made out of sapphire will roll out this year, with a higher price tag due to the manufacturing cost .
According to a TechCrunch report , Apple has made provisions to drive down the cost of the smartphone by partnering with a manufacturer to come up with an innovative process called Hyperion for the sapphire display.
Hall echoed TechCrunch's report about the reduced manufacturing cost of sapphire displays but feared mass production would be a challenge.Also the cost of making sapphire displays will be about 10 times greater than using existing Corning's Gorilla Glass for display, Hall said.
"At the end of the day we see two possibilities for the iPhone 6 -- either Apple produces a small number of high end devices with sapphire or they produce none," Hall said in his note, according to CNET. "Although we have channel indications that some sapphire devices will be produced, we actually lean toward Apple selling no sapphire phones this year. On sapphire as a feature -- we see it as a huge phone seller. The screens are reportedly unscratchable (except by diamond) and virtually indestructible. We believe most people will want sapphire when and if it ever becomes available."
Even with several complications surrounding sapphire-screened iPhones, Hall is hopeful that Apple will release scratch-proof, almost indestructible iPhone 6 in limited numbers. Some reports have speculated that sapphire glass will be exclusive to the 64GB model of 5.5-inch iPhone 6, while others suggest the material will also be used in the 4.7-inch 64GB model.
More details on how Apple plans to use sapphire material in its iPhone 6 models will surface September 9, when Apple is expected to launch the new iPhone.
