There has been considerable debate this year about Apple releasing iPhones with sapphire displays. We still don’t know what the actual situation is given that there have been rumors and leaks advocating both possibilities. According to a new investor note released by a JPMorgan analyst today its unlikely that the sapphire touting iPhones will be released this year.
Since last week there have been two reports from major publications about the possibility of sapphire iPhones. One claims that the device will roll out this year but will be expensive and customers will have to absorb it, the other claims that while the device will be released, customers won’t have to pay a higher price since Apple has found a way to offset the manufacturing costs.
Corning’s Gorilla Glass is currently used in iPhone screens. While Corning disagrees, it is widely believed that sapphire is more resilient as its harder to break and scratch, which makes it a good choice for smartphones. However cost is one major factor and may be one of the reasons why Apple doesn’t go ahead with this plan.
Rod Hall of JPMorgan believes that either Apple will release sapphire iPhones in a very limited quantity or it will “produce none” this year. Even though Hall sees it as a “huge phone seller,” channel indications seem to point at a launch for next year.
Analyst predictions are often hit or miss, so there’s still the possibility that the next generation iPhones will tout sapphire screens as many of us believe. We’ll only know for sure though once Apple makes the announcement.
Filed in . Read more about Iphone 6.
