2014-06-09
Latest Apple iWatch market rumors point towards OLED touchscreens, and health-related data collection ranging from sleep activity to blood oxygen levels, according to a recent Nikkei report.
Continue reading →
2014-05-29
Speculations about the iWatch have been floating around the internet, with every analyst giving their take of what technology they think Apple will use. After reading through hundreds of articles posted by U.S. media discussing new Apple patents and technology acquisitions, Tencent has compiled a list of the top five plausible technology and materials that might be seen in the iWatch.
Continue reading →
2014-05-28
Apple was granted a new patent for the use of LiquidMetal by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on Tuesday. The company could be planning to use LiquidMetal in conjunction with sapphire glass displays to form an integrated chassis for future iPhone models.
Continue reading →
2014-05-12
Apple has patented a super resolution photo technology that is capable of boosting resolution without the need of adding more megapixels recently, according to Apple Insider and several other reports.
Continue reading →
2014-05-09
Sonny Dickson has leaked more images of the Apple iPhone 6 dummy. If the images and information is correct, the new model seems to have taken a step back in terms of LED flash compared to previous models.
Continue reading →
2014-05-09
Chinese investors have recently approached Crystal Optotech to verify whether the company is currently producing sapphire panels for Chinese smartphone manufacturer Xiaomi. Crystal Optotech responded it has yet to produce sapphire for mobile phone application.
Continue reading →
2014-05-08
GT Advanced Technologies (GTAT) released their first fiscal quarter results on Wednesday, which ended on March 29, 2014. GTAT has seen a slight drop in revenue as its joint project with Apple in Arizona gears up to become fully operational by the end of this year.
Continue reading →
2014-05-07
Will Apple’s mobile device demands revolutionize the sapphire supply chain in the same way as the aluminum industry 10 years ago? Perhaps not, according to a Verge article.
Continue reading →
2014-05-05
Apple’s recent interest in sapphire substrate has got the industry talking as to what future Apple product will use the material. Long since used in LED lighting applications and handheld devices, sapphire substrate will soon be the spotlight in the industry once Apple’s Arizona factory is up and running.
Continue reading →
2014-05-05
GT Advanced Technologies’ (GT) Arizona sapphire substrate facility reportedly began small scale sapphire production last month. Stephen Chin, analyst of UBS, revealed that the facility has also already begun shipping material to a Chinese supplier.
Continue reading →
2014-05-05
Apple has acquired LuxVue Technology, a startup company that focuses on making low power micro-LED based displays in the consumer market, according to a TechCrunch report.
Continue reading →
2014-04-17
Apple’s new iPhone 6 is anticipated to hit the market in 3Q14, according to the United Evening News. The new model will have a larger screen than past iPhones at 5.5 inches. It has been rumored that the iPhone 6 will be priced at US$100 higher, due to the larger screen size and change in specs.
Continue reading →
2014-04-16
LED lighting demands are booming this year, according to a report in the Economic Daily News. Sapphire substrate manufacturers saw good operational performance in 1Q14, and remain optimistic as the industry moves into 2Q14.
Continue reading →
2014-04-16
There has been many rumors and speculations floating around the internet as to who will be the provider of OLED panels for Apple’s new iWatch. An increasing number of sources have been pointing their fingers towards LG lately.
Continue reading →
2014-04-08
The sapphire substrate industry is booming on growing non-LED application demands. Tooted as having the potential to eliminate cracks and scratches, many electronic device manufacturers have been shifting their focus from glass to sapphire substrate over the past few years. A player looking into the sapphire substrate market has recently emerged.
Continue reading →
2014-03-31
The joint facility owned by Apple and GT Advanced Technologies in Mesa, Arizona is expanding, said Apple Insider. The number of buildings and facilities on the 83-acre plot of land is growing, perhaps to accommodate higher yields for products yet to be announced.
Continue reading →
2014-03-10
Corning Glass Senior Vice President Tony Tripeny had some not so nice words to say about sapphire during a Q&A session at the Morgan Stanley Technology, Media & Telecom Conference on March 4. The company blasted the material in defense of their Gorilla Glass.
Continue reading →
2014-02-19
Technologically, resin bond diamond wire produced by Tanlong Photoelectric (Tanlong) is not ready for cutting sapphire, commented the company during a meeting with investors on Feb. 17, 2014. Sapphire cutting is mainly done by electroplated diamond wire.
Continue reading →
2014-02-18
Swiss industrial design website Designerei GmbH has recently released a new concept design for the upcoming Apple iWatch. Although this is not the official Apple design, it can still be used to analyze possible developmental directions for the new technology used in the smart watch.
Continue reading →
2014-02-12
Tanlong Photoelectronics will benefit from Apple’s push in the sapphire substrate market, Aastocks.com cited a member from the Chinese company’s security department saying. Although, there has been no growth in the company’s sapphire growth furnace orders, increased downstream demands are expected to spur the company’s furnace sales.
Continue reading →
2014-02-11
As the market continues to speculate iPhone 6 specs and release dates, industry insiders have revealed iPhone 6 monitor size will be expanded to 4.7 inches. Besides larger sizes, the new generation iPhone will maintain its advantages in lightness. As a result industry rumors have surfaced that the new generation iPhone LED backlight specs will also become much lighter.
Continue reading →
2014-02-07
Under the influence of Apple, manufacturers have maintained a positive outlook for sapphire substrate applications in consumer electronics, according to a Chinese-language CNA report. Aside from Apple, Taiwanese manufacturers are also quickening sapphire substrate patent applications.
Continue reading →
2014-02-05
Apple is rumored to be actively pursuing the launch of its new sapphire plant in Mesa, Arizona for a “critical new sub-component,” according to a report by MacRumor based on documents from 9to5Mac.The company is rumored to open the plant by February.
Continue reading →
2013-12-26
In recent years, LED technology has been the fastest growing in solid-state lighting, with a market penetration rate estimated to exceed 60 percent in 2014, according to LEDinside. Rapid improvement and the ever-increasing interest of large electronic manufacturers in OLED technology could lead OLEDs into the spotlight in 2017, analyzed LEDinside.
Continue reading →
2013-12-25
Apple has filed for a new patent with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office entitled “Quantum dot-enhanced display having diachronic filter” for enhancement of color accuracy in displays. This patent shows the company’s eagerness in researching next-generation screen technology to keep their products on the cutting edge.
Continue reading →
2013-12-23
Apple has continued filing patents that enable flexible displays, but this time with a twist of sapphire. The U.S. consumer electronics giant has added to its range of patents a “killer invention” that enables flexible wraparound displays in potential future iPhone and other devices, according to a recent report by Apple Patently.
Continue reading →
2013-12-16
Taiwan’s Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. (also known as Foxconn Technology Group) will begin developing a kind of high-precision OLED panels designed for current smartphones and tablets with narrow frames and mass produce the new panels in 2015, a OFWeek report quoted sources saying. The report noted Innolux Display Group, the world’s third biggest panel plant is a subsidiary of Hon Hai. Hon Hai’s entry into the OLED panel market is expected to intensify competition.
Continue reading →
2013-11-27
Currently 80 percent of sapphire applications are used in sapphire substrate while the other 20 percent is for non-substrate materials, according to Chinese-language online media Finance.com.cn estimations. Sapphire that is used in substrate is mainly applied in LED lighting and Si On Sapphire (SOS) related products, with LED lighting accounting for over 90 percent. Therefore demands from LED lighting directly affect sapphire substrate and is the market’s main focus.
Continue reading →
2013-11-11
An earlier report by Women Citizen projecting Apple’s smartphone dominance is to be challenged by Samsung’s AMOLED technology has been proven wrong by a recent Bloomberg report. Apple has no intention of being left behind by Samsung in the race of developing curved smartphones, according to the Bloomberg report. Citing an unnamed source familiar with the new project, the report noted Apple is developing a new generation of smartphones with curved glass and enhanced sensors.
Continue reading →
2013-11-07
GT Advanced Technology (GTAT) announced that it has entered into a multi-year supply agreement with Apple Inc. to provide sapphire substrate materials for US $578 million (NT $17 billion). Feeling the effect, Chinese sapphire substrate listed company stockholders yesterday start preparing to make a move. Shanghai and Shenzhen have 8 related concept stocks and aside from Crystal Optech stocks which is under trade suspension, all others increased.
Continue reading →