As it was previously reported that Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is constructing a manufacturing plant in Arizona. And the company new plant will be used to manufacture sapphire crystals for its products by GT Advanced Technologies.
The smartphone manufacturer at present uses sapphire technology in its camera lens covers and home buttons, however various details regarding the material itself and the agreement with the manufacturer shows that the US smartphone giant may it could be escalating its interests in this crystalline substance in coming few years.
Sapphire is type of synthetic material; following its manufacture the material get numerous properties that attract the smartphone maker so it started investing in it, initially it is a kind high class glass, having no color, as well as optically transparent, extremely hard and have a score of 9 on the Mohs scale that indicates it has better scratch resistance.
According to Center for Advanced Ceramic Technology, Director, Matthew Hall, Sapphire is a chemically strengthened glass, which is approximately 4 times better as compare to Gorilla Glass. So, this quality of the material greatly attracts the smartphone maker, despite the high cost that will spend on its manufacturing.
As better resistance the company will use thinner pieces of sapphire, which will facilitate the company in two directions that is less weight and reduction of thickness, a slim glass about which the company is more sensitive. As this point is evidence in its latest iPad Air, which is slimmer than it previous version due to its thinner glass display panel of IGZO.
Brian White, analyst at Cantor Fitzgerald previously reported that sapphire glass accounted for approximately 11% of GT’s sales in 2013, which will generate approximately $28.9 million in revenue during the year. While the company predicts that it sees to sale $480 million to $640 million worth alone from sapphire during FY2014. Therefore obviously it looks forward to US smartphone giant for additional business to boost its production quite a bit. Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) share advanced 1.57% to $520.56 in last trading session.
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