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Report: Apple could use sapphire crystal for home button on new iPads, cover glass on 2014 iPhones

With Apple utilizing a new laser cut sapphire crystal in its redesigned home button that now includes a capacitive fingerprint touch sensor on the iPhone 5s, it’s not that surprising that rumors of a sapphire home button on future iPads are starting to pop up. We’re certainly not taking this one as fact, as it comes to us from the not-so-reliable DigiTimes, but a new report from the publication says new models of Apple’s full-sized iPad and iPad mini will also utilize the hard sapphire crystal material. The rumor apparently comes from “Taiwan-based sapphire makers.”

The report adds that Apple could also be looking to utilize the material for entire touch screen covers for new iPhones coming in 2014, but that price could be a factor, as sapphire crystal is reportedly still around 5 times more expensive than alternative materials.

In it’s latest promotional video for the new iPhone 5s home button and TouchID feature (below), Apple says the Sapphire crystal button protects the the new touch sensor and also “acts as a lens to precisely focus it on your finger.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJkmc8-eyvE

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Comments

  1. Still a few years out for the entire screen if I had to guess.

    • MaRico NoHands Spikes - 11 years ago

      Do u work in this field? How do u know?

      • He said if he had to guess. If I had to guess I would think you’re a prick and I don’t work in that field. Same here Michael.

      • thejuanald - 11 years ago

        Because apple is incredibly slow to introduce new technologies, making very small incremental hardware advances.

      • MaRico NoHands Spikes - 11 years ago

        IMO Apple procrastinates on features that others have so they won’t seem like followers, but they bring out new tech once they know it’s not gonna confuse people and try to have all kinks worked out and it ‘just works’. TouchID is kinda new tech for mobile (yes finger scan tech has been around awhile but there’s only 2 types and Apple was the first to pull off the ‘area type’ and no one else can do it unless they license through Apple, and we know that’s not happening) , Siri was the first of its kind in the way it was presented in a mobile device, yes we have always had voice activation for years but never as personal as Siri, I’m pretty sure there is plenty of technical advancements the average Joe wouldn’t understand inside these devices, Apple makes things better in a way we do these things on these devices. There’s only so much inventing/reinventing so why rush to bring everything your working on out when you can refine it make it the best way possible and when other companies see what you did , it makes them try other things and pushes the boundaries, and that’s what we want.

Author

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Jordan Kahn

Jordan writes about all things Apple as Senior Editor of 9to5Mac, & contributes to 9to5Google, 9to5Toys, & Electrek.co. He also co-authors 9to5Mac’s Logic Pros series.