Thursday 28 February 2013
Want a phone screen that really won't break?
Sapphire, the same aluminum oxide compound (AL2O3) better known for brilliant blue gemstones that dangle from ears and throats and can cost a small fortune can give it to you.
Apart from being one of the strongest compound materials there is -- second only to the diamond that cuts it -- synthetic sapphire is highly rigid and won't buckle or melt in high-temperature situations. It is also slow to corrode, conducts heat at low temperatures, and is known for its excellent light transmission for wavelengths well beyond the scope of human vision. The screen was just as responsive as regular glass on a device.
The material is more costly, about 3 or 4 times the cost of regular glass and
today there's not enough capacity to create sapphire displays en masse, but we will see an uptick in adoption at the higher end of the spectrum.
How much would you pay for a phone with a virtually indestructible screen?
