In what could come as a big disappointment to Apple fans, a report has surfaced that the company's upcoming flagship device dubbed as iPhone 6 might come without the much-hyped sapphire crystal glass screen, when it is released this September.
The report has now cast doubts if the new smartphone will survive stiff competition from HTC One M8, Google's Nexus 6 and Samsung Galaxy Note 4.
Apple Inc. is expected to unveil two models of iPhone 6 – a 4.7-inch and a 5.5-inch – and the release date might fall in the month of September. It is seen as a device that could beat HTC One M8, Nexus 6 and Samsung Galaxy Note 4 in the smartphone market.
If there is one feature that puts iPhone 6 ahead of the products from its rival companies like Samsung, HTC and Google, it is the sapphire crystal glass screen that is expected to be introduced in the new device. In fact, it is the main attraction of the device, as it is unbreakable and second only to diamond in toughness. But latest report has suggested that both the models of the device may not feature the sapphire glass.
According to a press statement by LEDinside, a research subdivision of market-research organization TrendForce, Apple may release only limited version of iPhone 6 with sapphire glass citing the limited time that supply chains have before the release date.
"The much anticipated sapphire cover glass remains missing from the picture. Analysis of the iPhone 6 supply chain indicates related component suppliers need to ship products to OEMs for assembly in June 2014 to meet the September launch date. Yet, the research institute did not discover demands for smartphone cover glass," said the statement.
"The sapphire glass version new iPhone will be issued in limited volumes this year, mostly because sapphire ingot manufacturers yield rates were lower than forecasts and issues involved in sapphire glass processing."
Interestingly, YouTube user Marques Brownlee had demonstrated the screen of the purported iPhone 6 smaller model and scratch marks were seen unlike the Touch ID home button of iPhone 5s, indicating that it might not be made of pure sapphire.
The 4.7-inch model of iPhone 6 will be pitted against HTC One M8 and Samsung Galaxy S5, which have already hit the market, and the upcoming Nexus 6, while the bigger, 5.5-inch model has to compete with Samsung Galaxy Note 4, which is expected to be unveiled around the same period.
Without sapphire crystal glass screen, there is nothing much that Apple's device can boast of, as most of the high-end smartphones come with latest technology available. The bigger model of iPhone 6 will face the heat, as Samsung Galaxy Note series already has a well known device, while Nexus 6 may come with promising features, including Google's yet to be launched software, Android L.
Apple Inc. is expected to unveil and release its next-generation device in September, though an official announcement is awaited. It may have 20-nanometer A8 chip (64-bit) processor and run on the recently released iOS 8.
