Bloke squeezes Apple's boules, predicts millions of iPhone 6s, iWatches Apple has enough sapphire glass within its grasp for two models of the iPhone 6, if one was to appear, as well as the semi-mythical iWatch, an independent analyst has claimed. Matt Margolis, of Wall Street Forensics, has scoped out GT Advanced Technologies, the firm tasked with operating Apple's sapphire factory in Mesa, …
"which are making boules way bigger than anyone expected."
I'm sure someone or other pointed this out. Oh yes, last year:
"As the sapphire is made in ever fatter ingots, the price per kg will come down. Currently, at least with the pieces I've seen, it's about the shape and size of the sort of candle you might put on a dinner table. In the coming years we all expect it to get wider and wider, as silicon has done, fattening to the girth of a fat candle carried in the church parade all the way up to the "elephant's tampon girth" of current silicon ingots. We would also expect production costs to come down as they have with silicon: perhaps not a 10x reduction, but no one can see why a 3x or 4x wouldn't be achievable."
He's basically saying they're making a lot of glass so that means they'll sell twice as many phones/devices? They made plenty of 5Cs... still collecting dust.
What's the lead time on the glass? I assume the production time is such that they'd need a sizeable lead-in of production to maintain the lifespan of the phone, even at "failure" sales levels.
Are they going to sell the glass to anyone else? Given that Apple doesn't actually make anything (except sapphire glass now apparently) I'd assume their suppliers like Sharp and LG would be interested in buying the glass for other products. Probably not going to play nice with Samsung, Google or Lenovo unless the price is vastly overpaid.
My latest investigation into the suppply chains indicates that Apple is investing a lot of money in HOT AIR and therefore Aluminium Can manufacturers have their orders books full till the 22nd Century, at least. Wall street should take note of this invest in Aluminium companies and HOT Fart application makers. Oxygen suppliers will also be in high demand so do stock up, lest you be left out of breathable air.
Note that these products will be sold under St. Jobs own brand as wind from the grave , which was his last dying wish. The process is patented already under USPA number 342734873587934383037.
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