Why does the IPhone 6 use sapphire glass?

Apple and GT signed a 578 million-dollar sapphire order agreement in 2013, and the hottest material is likely to replace Gorilla Glass for smartphone displays. However, to the surprise of many consumers, at the iphone 6 Conference, Apple announced that the new mobile phone uses ion-enhanced glass, rather than sapphire glass. In fact, ion-reinforced glass is also a strong tempered glass, the same as the Gorilla Glass principle. The glass panels need to undergo special chemical treatment, using sodium ions instead of the original potassium ions, so that the strength of the glass is greater. So, what is sapphire glass? Sapphire glass is not really glass, but a transparent synthetic single crystal, is a crystalline form of mineral corundum (alumina). Pure corundum is transparent, but in natural conditions, color is produced by doping impurities. Sapphire becomes blue because it has titanium and iron, and ruby with chromium becomes red; pink sapphire (Padparadscha) contains chromium and iron to become pink orange. In addition to some special materials, such as diamonds and tungsten carbide, sapphire glass is harder than anything on earth. Gorilla Glass vs. Sapphire Gorilla Glass 1, hard aluminum-silicon toughened glass 2, 6.8 Morse hardness 3, as of 2012, display glass market share of 49% sapphire glass 1, single synthetic alumina Crystal 2, 9 Morse hardness 3, Stronger scratch resistance 4, The cost of production is four times times 5 higher than the Gorilla Glass, and 1.5 times times larger than the Gorilla Glass. Why not use sapphire glass? One: Need perfect supply chain sapphire glass needs to use direct-pull growth method (Czochralski). 1. Alumina melts in a special furnace at 3700 degrees Fahrenheit (2000 degrees Celsius). 2, it needs a slow cooling, in order to form a larger synthetic crystals. 3, after the diamond wire saw cutting. Sapphire should be stored in absolute dust-free condition before it is used, otherwise it will be brittle. Any flaw would make it worse than a gorilla glass. This year, Apple's iphone 6 shipments will reach 80 million, and this particular process has led to a failure to produce sapphire glass on demand. ' At the moment, the cost and supply are not up to expectations, so the sapphire glass can't actually be applied to the iphone 6, ' said LG spokesman Ken. Two: Cost and economy scale in Arizona, State has an area of 1.3 million square feet of factory, specifically for Apple production of sapphire glass. But it should not work efficiently, at least until the beginning of the 2015, to meet the demands of mass production. Ideally, a rise in production would cost less, but now consumers may not be willing to pay for such an expensive price. Sapphire glass is a flawless crystal with high quality. But using this new material is not a viable option for Apple, as it is now clearly very difficult to ensure that it is flawless and to support mass production. ViAzdnet