Apple's tough sapphire screen may be reserved for a premium iPhone 6

Apple's tough sapphire screen may be reserved for a premium iPhone 6
When the going gets tough...

Apple could be lining up special versions of the two rumoured iPhone 6 models for sapphire screens, as the high-cost material looks to push the firm's premium banding to the max.

The Wall Street Journal says that "people familiar with the matter" revealed the Cupertino firm is currently deciding whether or not to reserve the tough-as-diamonds material for premium variants due to launch in September.

The main reason for the indecision seems to be surrounding the increased cost - the report estimates a Sapphire screen costs about $16 (around £9, AU$17), while a sheet of Gorilla Glass comes out at just $3 (around £1, AU$3).

This could potentially push the price of the new iPhone 6 up above the current cost of the iPhone 5S, so splitting out the variants between a more costly premium model and a non-sapphire toting standard option does make some sense.

That said, having multiple variants of the same handset is a very un-Apple thing to do, so we'd be surprised if this was the way the firm decided to go with the iPhone 6.

Sapphire for sure

Questions over whether sapphire crystal glass would be used at all have been raised with some suggesting Apple won't bother, but according to the WSJ this isn't the case.

It claims that sapphire screens for not only the new iPhone 6, but apparently the much rumoured iWatch too, will roll off production lines by the end of August.

The iPhone 6 launch date is currently being touted as September 9, so there's hopefully less than a month to wait to find out which way Apple will go.

Kevin Lee

Kevin Lee was a former computing reporter at TechRadar. Kevin is now the SEO Updates Editor at IGN based in New York. He handles all of the best of tech buying guides while also dipping his hand in the entertainment and games evergreen content. Kevin has over eight years of experience in the tech and games publications with previous bylines at Polygon, PC World, and more. Outside of work, Kevin is major movie buff of cult and bad films. He also regularly plays flight & space sim and racing games. IRL he's a fan of archery, axe throwing, and board games.

Latest in iPhone
Apple iPhone 16 Pro REVIEW
The iPhone 17 Air looks impressively slim in this new comparison image, but that just makes me more worried about the specs
iPhone 16 Pro Desert Titanium in hand
I think the rumored iPhone 17 Pro redesign looks great – but is it Apple enough?
Apple iPhone 16 Review
New iPhone 17 report lends weight to rumors of major display and camera upgrades, and a pricey Apple foldable
Apple iPhone 16 Review
The latest iPhone 18 leak hints at a major chipset upgrade for all four models
Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold main display opened
Apple is rumored to be prioritizing battery life on the foldable iPhone – which could also feature a liquid metal hinge for added durability
The home screen on an iPhone 16e smartphone
I think the iPhone 16e is too expensive – and as it turns out, so does nearly everybody else
Latest in News
A young woman is working on a laptop in a relaxed office space.
I’ll admit, Microsoft’s new Windows 11 update surprised me with its usefulness, providing accessibility fixes, a gamepad keyboard layout, and PC spec cards
inZOI promotional material.
inZOI has become the most wishlisted game on Steam, but I wouldn't get too caught up in the hype
Xbox Series X and Xbox wireless controller set to a green background
Xbox Insiders are currently testing a new Game Hub feature that looks useful, but I've got mixed feelings about it
A stylized depiction of a padlocked WiFi symbol sitting in the centre of an interlocking vault.
Broadcom warns of worrying security flaws affecting VMware tools
Nespresso Vertuo Pop machine in Candy Pink with coffee drinks and capsules
My favorite Nespresso coffee maker just got a fresh new makeover, and now I love it even more
Microsoft Surface Laptop and Surface Pro devices on a table.
Hate Windows 11’s search? Microsoft is fixing it with AI, and that almost makes me want to buy a Copilot+ PC