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| An Apple logo is seen on the back on a smartphone on August 6, 2014 in London, England. |
Apple's upcoming iPhone — or iPhones — will have a sapphire screen instead of a glass one, and it will likely come with a higher price tag than its predecessor, The Wall Street Journal reports.
Sapphire, which is used in luxury watches, is harder and more scratch-resistant than glass, but is also more expensive, which could reflect on the price of the device.
The WSJ quotes Yole Développement's senior analyst Eric Virey, who claims that the production price of a screen made of Gorilla Glass — the material used in iPhone 5s and many other high-end smartphones — is $3, while a sapphire screen could cost $16.
According to the report, Apple is considering using sapphire for both its upcoming iPhone models, at least the high-end versions, if it can produce enough screens.
And that might not be an easy task, given that Apple typically sells around 50 million iPhones in its first fiscal year quarter. According to Virey, Apple and GT's new manufacturing facility in Mesa, Ariz., will produce twice as much sapphire as all the other manufacturers put together. Mass production should begin this month.
None of this has been officially confirmed by Apple, which is widely expected to launch new iPhone product(s) in September.
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Topics: apple, iPhone, iPhone 6, Tech
