Out of sapphire substrate non-LED applications, mobile devices have shown the strongest demand. Sapphire substrate non-LED applications are projected to reach a 32% share in 2014, with mobile device applications taking a 21% share, according to LEDinside.
In 2012, Apple changed the iPhone 5 camera lens from plastic to sapphire. The material was even introduced into the fingerprint recognition button for the iPhone 5s released a year later. Sapphire substrate was chosen for fingerprint recognition applications mainly because it is very hard and highly scratch resistant which can prevent fingerprint sensors from scratching, the firm said, adding that compared to glass, sapphire substrates have a wetting angle of 85 degrees, which prevents fingerprints from sticking to the home button and reduces misreadings.
Many signs point to diversifying sapphire substrate applications in new products as Apple's next goal. Future application possibilities include an iWatch cover, and even an iPhone cover glass. Regardless of the type of application, all these point to diversification of sapphire substrate applications, LEDinside said.
Although Apple has great interest in sapphire cover glass for smartphones, there are still many obstacles for the tech giant to overcome. These include whether current sapphire production capacity can meet large smartphone demand. Huge cost differences between sapphire cover glass and tempered glass also continue to exist, making lowering sapphire manufacturing costs a crucial future factor, the firm added.
Still the Cupertino-based company seems to be working towards the goal of materializing sapphire cover glass. Apple is optimizing its supply chain management, and it has solidified relations with upstream manufacturers to prevent potential raw material shortages in the market. The company's partnership with GTAT for instance, guarantees a steady supply of upstream sapphire ingots, and Apple is also actively vertically integrating suppliers. This can be seen in GTAT's acquisition of upstream raw material manufacturers to ensure aluminum oxide raw material supply. In addition, Apple and China glass processing supplier Biel Crystal has formed a partnership with sapphire manufacturer Roshow Technology, which further secures sapphire ingot supply.
An increasing number of manufacturers are willing to introduce sapphire substrates into camera lens covers, but when it comes to sapphire cover glass most manufacturers shy away. The majority of manufacturers believe sapphire substrate prices must fall to about the same level as tempered glass before sapphire smartphone glass covers demand can take off. Another factor is whether the sapphire industry supply is large enough to meet client demand. Since there is high volume smartphone demand, any handset component that incorporates sapphire could create shortages in the sapphire substrate industry, said LEDinside.
