Sapphire Glass's Toughness Demonstrated. Blows Our Minds!

Kaustubh KatdareWhile the rumours of Apple's iPhone 6 sporting a sapphire glass build up in the media, we found an amazing video that demonstrates its awesomeness. Apple used the sapphire glass in iPhone 5s to protected their touch-sensor so that it doesn't get damaged. Apple's reportedly been investing a lot in developing the sapphire glass technology and a #-Link-Snipped-# revealed that they might be using 'fused sapphire glass' in their upcoming devices. We won't be surprised if iPhone 6 gets it!

One word that describes this glass is 'hardness'. Kyocera, the popular Japanese tech company, has released a video that compares their new synthetic sapphire glass with the impact resistant glass. Both are subjected to some intense physical abuse, but sapphire glass holds up against it without a scratch! Check it out -


​On Mohs scale, that measures the hardness of minerals, Sapphire scores 9/10; with diamond taking the top spot at 10/10. Corning, the makers of Gorilla Glass, known for its toughness has responded by saying that they aren't worried. In their defense, they #-Link-Snipped-# that Sapphire, being a crystalline material transmits about 6 percentage points less lights and may introduce optical distortions. Sapphire is 67% heavier than Gorilla Glass.

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If this glass makes it to the phones and smart watches, we're sure they'll save you a lot of money and frustration. The glass won't break no matter what and continue to protect the main display of the device.

Comadur SA, a wholly owned subsidiary of Rolex watch company made synthetic sapphire. I had used this material for some applications. We contacted Comadur in 1985 for a heart valve disc. They galdly obliged. It was a tough, beautiful (irrelevant for our application) material with outstanding blood compatibility. Experimental valves were working perfectly in sheep. (One of these tried to butt me down the hill on which the animal house was built.) On day one of these just fell dead. On autopsy we found that the single crystal material cleaved down the middle. Almost eight years back breaking work of the huge team working on the project came to nil.Fortunately we rose from the ashes and came up with a soft material that outperformed the sapphire for that application.

Having said that, I am fascinated by this material. It will always be one of my top favourites.

Superb material. Tremendous properties. I just love this sapphire.

Incidentally it is just the crystalline form of aluminium oxide. Ruby is the other jewel stone of the same material.

#-Link-Snipped-# - I envy you! The kind of things we only get to write about - and you've used them already! I really hope that the material will make it to our smartphones without creating any issue about the transparency. I really hate having to protect my phone from scratches all the time.

What a impressive video, If this glass will really come to the reality I would term that as start of new era to smart phones.

The only point I am wondering is touch experience, and heaviness of the material (as indicated by gorilla glass).

Meanwhile bow down to Sir #-Link-Snipped-# !!

See the demo of Sapphire Glass by MKBHD,
As per rumor iPhone next series going to have it.


and by above video Corning definitely on back foot, which they have said in following article.
#-Link-Snipped-#

Sapphire's performance as a cover for high-end watches probably leads to the current speculation. But those covers are much smaller than a mobile phone and are two to three times thicker than Gorilla Glass. In one of our commonly accepted strength tests, sapphire breaks more easily than Gorilla Glass after the same simulated use. Additionally, sapphire’s cost and environmental hit are huge issues."

Rajni JainThe only point I am wondering is touch experience, and heaviness of the material (as indicated by gorilla glass)
Meanwhile bow down to Sir #-Link-Snipped-# !!

For the same dimensions Sapphire will be about 30% heavier than glass. Almost all high end mechanical watches have this material as the cover over the dial. The jewels in the watch are also this material.

This is a commonly used material in various engineering applications. So it is nothing great in my having used it.
Even a very low tech, local branded tooth powder manufacturers use nozzles of this material to fill the very abrasive powders in the low cost paper pouches the product is sold in.

I bet people will still get a Rs.200 "screen guard" for their phones.😁

My Gorilla Glass Display has withstood almost all the roughness it went through. Haven't used a screen guard till date. My screen is totally clean except for one short scracth that was caused by a lathe's carbide tool tip. No, I didn't turn my phone 😁 that was an accident. Of course, almost all tools have a hardness value much greater than that special glass!

If I were to get an Iphone 6 or any phone that has sapphire glass, having read this, wouldn't think of a screen guard or a protective cover ever. Besides, covers kill the beauty those hand helds are designed of!

Apple would be killing the entire screen guard market for the iPhones. The sapphire glass is quite awesome but they still have problems getting the transparency thing right. We do not know where the things stand as of now and whether it'll be iPhone 6 that will get it. Apple, with all of their stinking cash might have got the things the way they wanted.

The iPhone 6 launch is just a few weeks away and it'd be interesting to see whether the phone gets it. Sooner or later; it's coming!

[Prototype]I bet people will still get a Rs.200 "screen guard" for their phones.😁

Agreed. And also download songs from songs.pk! 😁