A couple of weeks ago, a video had surfaced showing off the iPhone 6’s alleged sapphire display. The display was put through various durability tests, such as bending and scratching to prove its durability. One expert even claimed that the material in the video was the real deal, but a recent video seems to suggest otherwise.
In the new video, Marques Brownlee took the display panel and put it through the ringer once again, this time relying on the Mohs scale of mineral hardness. For those unfamiliar, the Mohs scale runs from 1-10, with 10 being the hardest. The concept is that minerals rated below another mineral will not be able to scratch it, so if a mineral was rated 5, it will only be able to scratch those rated 4 and below, and not 6 and above.
Considering that sapphire has been rated a 9 on the Mohs scale, Brownlee proved its durability by using a steel knife which was rated a 5.5. However when he used garnet sandpaper (rated a 7) and an emery sandpaper (rated an 8), he was successful in scratch the display panel, save for the actual Touch ID cover.
Now we know that Apple currently uses sapphire for the Touch ID cover and the lens cover for the iPhone, so with the sandpaper being able to scratch the display panel, it would suggest that Apple might not be using pure sapphire for the iPhone 6. Instead they could be using some kind of hybrid which makes it more durable than its predecessors, but at the same time not as durable as the actual thing.
It is understandable that Apple would choose that route. After all one of the reasons why OEMs aren’t exactly lining up to hop aboard the sapphire bandwagon is because costs would be significantly higher compared to current materials. In any case we have no way of verifying if the panel is the real deal, but in the meantime what do you guys think? Anyone disappointed that it isn’t pure sapphire like the rumors are making it out to be?
Filed in . Read more about Iphone 6.
