According to recent reports, it has been speculated that Apple might not be using sapphire as the material for the camera lens on the iPhone 7. This was based on a test in which the iPhone 7’s lens was scratched with a softer pick compared to a Tissot watch with a sapphire display, thus “disproving” Apple’s claims.However Apple has since responded and is claiming that the iPhone 7 does indeed use sapphire for its lens cover, as well as the cover for the Touch ID sensor, something that Apple has been doing for a while now. “Apple confirms the iPhone 7 camera lens is sapphire, and under proper testing conditions, achieves the hardness and purity results expected from sapphire.”
So what’s with the scratch? How can they claim it to be sapphire when it scratches easier than real sapphire? According to iMore’s Rene Ritchie, the scratches in the video are actually that of fracturing. “Fracturing — as opposed to scratching — is what happens when you have something so incredibly thin — unlike the much thicker watch used for comparison — and you apply pressure with no level of control.”
“You’d have to precisely apply the same level of force, likely to the same thickness of material, to properly do that test.” Basically the lens on the iPhone 7 is so thin that it could have fractured under the testing as opposed to being scratched, which we guess makes sense, but hopefully this clears it up once and for all.
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