Apple’s sapphire display looks set to be a big winner when the iPhone 6 hits shelves on September 19 after a video of the newly developed smartphone screen leaked via YouTube.
Popular tech-reviewer Marques Brownlee has confirmed a departure from the Gorilla Glass screens used on previous models to a sapphire crystal display in a YouTube clip published on Sunday.
Despite not being able to conduct torture testing to determine the sapphire display’s durability against pressure drops from high distances, Brownlee successfully puts the paper-thin screen through a number of harsh experiments, including scratch tests against a sharp knife and house keys, and flexibility test under foot.
“This isn’t a mockup,” he says, holding a 4.7-inch display. “This is an actual, straight-off-the-assembly-line iPhone 6 part from Apple.”
The video leak likely disproves rumours the sapphire front piece would only be available on the larger 5.5-inch models after Forbes reported in February that Apple had closed a deal worth $578US million with a US-based company to produce scratch resistant screen commonly seen in high-end watches.