Sapphire Crystal iPhone 6 Front Panel is Nearly Indestructible! [Video]

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Posted July 8, 2014 at 2:18am by Shalom Levytam

Check out this new video from Marques Brownlee that stress tests a leaked sapphire crystal iPhone 6 front panel.

The 4.7" Apple iPhone 6 will have a sapphire crystal display made by $GTAT. Sapphire crystal is used in high-end watches & camera lenses already. Let's put it through its paces!

Brownlee attempts to scratch, bend, and break the glass panel; however, is unable to do so.

"At first I was kinda tentative because I thought maybe there was a chance I might break it, maybe shatter it, but I slowly realized that there is absolutely no way I can break this display under my own power. There's no chance. I have a feeling that I could drop a rock on it but really I couldn't get the surface to even scratch a little bit at all. The worst blemish on the surface was actually my fingerprint marks and dust from handling it so much."

Take a look at the video below and please follow iClarified on X, Facebook, or RSS for updates.

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AppleSnapple - July 10, 2014 at 8:45pm

nokia had a saphire front panel years ago i think it was the one slider with aircraft ballbearings ...so blaaaahhhh

gamerscul9870 - July 10, 2014 at 8:46pm

Maybe they were focused on making better hardware before making a decent os or features for it, so nnnnaaaaaaagggggggg!

bobbycrotola - July 8, 2014 at 10:24pm

every year we hear the same from all manufacturers. "we've got unscratchable/unbreakable glass." every year. you can go back in time in youtube videos if you want to follow the claims. just give me a good product that has a responsive digitizer.. that's all. thank you manufacturers.

gamerscul9870 - July 8, 2014 at 11:14pm

That's like saying Apple hired this guy to claim it. Back to retracting your steps. Good night to that user.

Repair Man. - July 8, 2014 at 3:10pm

While I'm sure the Digitizer/front glass will be made of sapphire glass... the LCD will most likely not be made of sapphire. I can see somebody dropping the phone or something of high impact that will crack the LCD but not the front screen.

JuergenWest - July 8, 2014 at 6:13am

Wow.. Looks like cracked screens will be a thing of the past.. Guess I've about three years to find a new business to get into.

Different Name! - July 8, 2014 at 5:50am

Watch the copycats at Samsung release their next copycat phone with the same dislay.

King - July 8, 2014 at 7:06am

Apple actually has a deal with the sapphire display company that they only sell it to apple first, and the left overs they can sell it to whoever they want to. Apple has been funding money to this company for a couple years for research and the making of the glass

Fire Dragon - July 8, 2014 at 8:15am

You do realize that apple is 'copying' here, right? (By that logic, you are copying yourself as well by buying the same product someone else has) Not to mention that you did write display and not front panel. Which is even better considering the majority of iPhone displays are manufactured by Samsung, I know right? It's not a new material it has been used for high end watches for years. So it is not an 'invention' or 'innovation' and far from indestructible, they just decided to now use a front panel 3-4 times the price of gorilla glass. The option was always there but profit margin was a priority there, now with being able to produce the other parts cheaper they can make big waves about this thing they always could have done and how it is a revolution to get more people to buy into it and not mind the price hike they are putting on the next generation devices. It's just clever marketing so they don't run the risk of appearing stale.

Adam - July 8, 2014 at 4:04pm

Samsung is one of them not the only one, LG and Japan display Inc also manufacture display panels for iPhones.

AppDroid - July 8, 2014 at 4:34am

Seems ok, but we won't find out till the release!

Great! - July 8, 2014 at 4:23am

I doubt it can withstand being dragged through sand.

gamerscul9870 - July 8, 2014 at 4:26am

How about lava? Or a black hole?

Bright - July 8, 2014 at 8:13am

It has a surface hardness of 9. Diamond is 10. You don't find speckles or dust of diamonds in the sand. The only thing that can scratch its surface other than diamond is silicon carbide - found on some abrasive grit. Sometimes rarely found on concrete - debris from abrasive grit during construction. There's a simple demo of just how it compares to gorilla glass.

PaladinLV - July 8, 2014 at 9:24pm

True! However, sapphire can and does shatter, especially if not hit head-on but at and edge. Just ask any luxury watch owner. That's why the crystal is never covered by warranty!

gamerscul9870 - July 8, 2014 at 9:27pm

That's cases protect the edge, get that with the 6 (and just incase of a terrible look on the back, it helps cover it up) and you're all set.

Quickitus - July 8, 2014 at 4:00am

Seems pretty legit. Waiting for the android trolls to start finding something to rattle on about

Ken - July 8, 2014 at 2:32am

Legit!

gamerscul9870 - July 8, 2014 at 2:21am

Stronger than old nokia. Bet I can't stand a nuke.