Neil Hughes
Apple fans still hoping the company will adopt a scratch-resistant sapphire cover for the iPhone in the near future should temper their expectations, as one display expert believes the impressive anti-reflective glass coating on the iPad Air 2 display is instead the way of the future.
In a new commentary, Raymond Soneira of DisplayMate Technologies noted that the new anti-reflection screen on Apple's iPad Air 2 has a screen reflectance level of just 2.5 percent. He said that's by far the lowest level he has ever measured on a tablet or smartphone, with previous record holders not able to beat around 4.5 percent.
The display expert said he doesn't expect Apple to utilize sapphire in future iPhone screens because the material by itself has a very high 8 percent reflectance rate. If Apple were to put the same anti-reflective coating found on the iPad Air 2 onto a mythical sapphire iPhone, it would defeat the purpose of the sapphire by placing a softer coating on top that is more susceptible to scratches.
In short, a sapphire cover with an anti-reflectance coating would lose main selling point over traditional glass: superior scratch resistance.
"Anti-reflection coatings are used in just about all high-end lenses and related optics," Soneira explained. "The problem is that most coatings scratch easily and show fingerprints easily. Apple (or more likely one of its suppliers) has found something that doesn't scratch easily or show fingerprints and works well on tablet and smartphone touch screens."
Soneira's tests show that the lower reflectance rate on the iPad Air 2 improves screen readability, image contrast, and color saturation in ambient light by a margin of nearly two to one over its predecessor.
Rumors of sapphire screens from Apple came about after the company signed a $578 million contract with GT Advanced Technologies, a maker of advanced sapphire material. Apple uses sapphire to protect the Touch ID fingerprint sensors found on the iPhone and iPad, as well as the rear iSight camera on some devices.
The deal with GTAT fueled hopeful speculation that the iPhone 6 would feature a scratch-resistant sapphire display, eschewing the Gorilla Glass that Apple has used up until now. But those wishes didn't pan out, and Apple's deal with GT Advanced collapsed earlier this month when the company filed for bankruptcy.
In addition to Soneira's notes about reflectance and scratch resistance made Tuesday, AppleInsider also noted back in June that sapphire was an unlikely candidate for the entire display of an iPhone or iPad. In addition to being costly and allowing less light to travel through, larger pieces of sapphire are also prone to shattering when dropped, and is harder to work with in the manufacturing process.
-m.jpg)
Charles Martin
Malcolm Owen
William Gallagher
Christine McKee
Wesley Hilliard
34 Comments
One need look no farther than my signature here to understand how pleased I am that they're making progress on anti-reflective coatings.
I'm still using a mid-2009 MacBook Pro because Apple doesn't make a newer laptop that I can readily use. Yes, they've had the custom anti-glare displays, but the pixels are so small that it adds a different kind of strain. The iMacs have been making small improvements in recent years, but still look like mirrors to me, and I need a laptop in any case, because I work in multiple locations.
I haven't yet put my hands/eyes on the iPad Air 2, but looks like I'll need to go check it out in person soon. If it's as good as it sounds here, then I expect that in time this new tech will migrate to laptops. Please please please please please!
I'm not going to speculate about sapphire vs. class and anti glare coatings, but as I said yesterday, my Air 2 is much easier to read in direct sunlight than my original Air, when directly comparing them side to side, with the same thing open on the page, despite the disappointingly lower maximum brightness. If brightness was 10% higher, to match the Air, it would be even easier to read.
The Air 2 does show fingerprints more, likely in part because the coating attracts more oil and partly because it's more visible against the blacker background. It's not the end of the world, though. The display cleans easily.
The Air 2 does show fingerprints more, likely in part because the coating attracts more oil and partly because it's more visible against the blacker background. It's not the end of the world, though. The display cleans easily.
I like my screens oily.
It leads to improved and smoother performance when gaming. I tend not to clean my iPad display too often. If I'm just reading a book or watching a movie or something, then I'll clean it, but if I'm gaming, then hell no!
[quote name="sog35" url="/t/183096/ipad-air-2-glass-cover-has-2-5-screen-reflectance-vs-8-reflectance-for-sapphire#post_2628771"]And yet these clowns at DisplayMate still rate the Galaxy Note as the best screen for a tablet. [/quote] They aren't clowns, and you should look at their tests for the other screens. They have a link at the bottom of the page.