iPhone 6 promise of Sapphire Screens might be wishful thinking

In July we talked about how the iPhone 6 screens are not likely to be made of 100% Sapphire glass, according to tech reviewer Marques Brownlees.

This time, according to Yole Developments, a French market research firm, there is a chance the iPhone 6 screens might not get even a micron of Sapphire Glass, although fingerprint scanners and camera lenses are still likely to get the Sapphire treatment.

The market research company stated in a public document, that, based on recent analysis of the current Sapphire supply, it is extremely unlikely that GTAT, or any other supplier, will be able to provide enough Sapphire Glass for the iPhone 6.

Production of Sapphire has been cursed by multiple bottlenecks, yielding lower than expected amounts of the finished product, and if production doesn’t ramp-up rapidly, there is still a chance of Apple walking away from Sapphire altogether.

Yole Developments has not elaborated on whether the prediction takes into consideration pure Sapphire screens, or a composite, however, as stated above, it doesn’t discount the possibility of Sapphire being used in other components, like camera lenses and fingerprint scanners.

In late July, we reported news of Apple manufacturers gearing up for massive production of parts for the iPhone 6, which could be an indicator of Apple’s will to release the iPhone 6, with or without Sapphire screens. Whether or not Yole’s assessment is correct, Apple’s September 9 big announcement is going to be a most anticipated event, as many of these questions will be answered, especially surrounding rumors of the 5.5 inch version, which is allegedly set to be released only weeks after the 4.7 inch screen version of the iPhone 6.