Saphire smart phone screens - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: TerraHertz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 13, 2018, 04:45:59 am
content: GT Advanced - Sapphire Glass ProductionWell, it's an advert I guess. But interesting. It stuck out to me because I'm nearly finished making a thing forremovingiPad (and smartphone) screens.

author: jmelson
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 14, 2018, 03:58:25 pm
content: Quote from: TerraHertz on March 13, 2018, 04:45:59 amOh my GAWWWD! Sapphires the size of a bathtub! YIKES! (I must have missed the armed guards.)Jon

author: amyk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 15, 2018, 12:41:06 am
content: The process is similar to what's used to grow silicon crystals for electronics, but with a different material. Not surprising they've scaled it up.It's extremely hard, but that also means it's very brittle:https://www.cnet.com/news/sapphire-phone-screens-not-as-strong-as-you-think-says-corning/The same is probably true of diamond, which is actually surprisingly cheap now and may become another contender for screen material in the future.

author: rfeecs
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 15, 2018, 12:55:22 am
content: Looks like the video is from the company that Apple dumped as a screen glass manufacturer and subsequently went bankrupt:https://www.theverge.com/2015/11/4/9668922/apples-sapphire-glass-supplier-iphone-debt-dealI guess they came back from bankruptcy and are still around:https://www.macrumors.com/2016/03/18/gt-advanced-emerges-from-bankruptcy/

author: Halcyon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 15, 2018, 06:13:05 am
content: Why not use a material similar to acrylic plastic (perspex)? It's relatively flexible, resistant to shattering and scratches, cheap and easy to produce.

author: Ampera
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 15, 2018, 06:23:18 am
content: That's a good question. The bad answer is that people view plastic screens as cheap and flimsy (and not without cause as many plastic screens were thing and usually there for resistive touch layers).I think it would be a great idea.

author: Halcyon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 15, 2018, 06:28:25 am
content: Quote from: TwoOfFive on March 15, 2018, 06:23:18 amThat's the thing, we're paying through the nose for decent phones these days which are fragile as anything. One drop and they're almost useless. I found this out the hard way recently with my Samsung Galaxy S8. Brilliant phone, but one drop onto concrete shattered the screen and rear glass resulting in a $300 repair bill. Before that, all the phones I've owned just take the punishment and/or the back and battery pops off.Nokia's had plastic covering their screens for many years and survived without any issues.

author: Paul Moir
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 15, 2018, 06:32:21 am
content: Quote from: Halcyon on March 15, 2018, 06:28:25 amBut we wore them in little holsters or folded them up. The glass screens came out when the acrylic got scratched by someone's keys.

author: Halcyon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 15, 2018, 06:42:40 am
content: Quote from: Paul Moir on March 15, 2018, 06:32:21 amDon't they make train and bus windows from acrylic? Surely the technology exists to withstand a set of keys.