Before the launch of the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus this September, there was strong speculation around the fact that Apple's latest flagship will come with Sapphire glass screens on board. As a material, Sapphire is said to be much improved in resistance and scratch resistance when compared to Apple's current choice, Gorilla Glass. But the launch of the iPhone 6 put all these rumors to rest as Apple chose to equip only the Touch Sensor and camera lens cover on its flagships with Sapphire instead.
Taiwanese Stock Market Suggests Apple Might Be Turning To New Sapphire Suppliers.
Today's information about the Taiwanese stock market shows that three firms, namely Acme Electronics Corp, Crystalwise Technology Inc. and Highlight Tech Corp. have booked significant stock gains this Tuesday. All three companies have made gains of seven percent, which is the maximum amount the price is allowed to fluctuate over in Taiwan.
The story behind Cupertino's failed alliance with GT Technologies has received a significant amount of coverage. Apple's first choice for sapphire, GT Advanced filed for bankruptcy this October, which ended all further arrangements the California based manufacturer had made with the former. In fact, Apple was the one who ended up helping GTAT stay stable, with the company's shares having dropped to $0.44 at the time of bankruptcy.
GTAT's shares however soared at the time speculation about the duo's alliance was at its peak and ended up reaching $19.77 in July from a low of $2.65 last year. A similar rise in stock prices of the companies highlighted above suggest a potentially similar partnership, with Cupertino turning to its long term ally, Foxconn, to manufacture final display components of the materials received from the three.
Nevertheless, a trend in stock prices is far from being concrete evidence of any potential new partners that Cupertino might have chosen for its next device. But with the way things have ended with GTAT, Apple should undoubtedly be looking for a reliable new source for Sapphire. We'll update you as this develops further.
