When it comes to phone screens, the vast majority of handsets feature ones that are covered by glass. Advancements in Gorilla Glass help to prevent scratches and shatters for as long as possible, but with enough use, these things are bound to happen due to the nature of the material.
In just a years' time, a company called "Akhan Semiconductor" plans to aide in the release of the first smartphone with a display made out of diamonds.
Why diamonds? While there's certainly a cool factor that's hard to ignore, diamonds are also far more durable than glass. Akhan grows diamonds in its own lab, and it uses a special pattern that arranges them in a totally random fashion to help avoid deep cracks and further protect components beneath your phone's display.
Diamond screens are expected to cost more than ones made out of glass.
Furthermore, Akhan's diamond screens can be used in conjunction with other materials. For example, we could soon have a phone with a diamond layer and then Gorilla Glass 5 on top of it.
Akhan is reportedly working with manufacturers to integrate its diamond panels onto phones, and the first handset to utilize the material is scheduled for a release in 2019. It's unknown which companies Akhan is working with, and it's worth mentioning that Akhan missed its first release window of late 2017.
We've seen companies like Motorola release "shatter-proof" phones in the past, but rather than using diamonds, Moto opted for plastic. While phones such as the Moto Z2 Force have proven to be nearly impossible to shatter, they come at the cost of having screens that can be scratched far too easily. With diamonds, Akhan is hoping to offer the best of both worlds.
With all that said, do you have any interest in a phone with a diamond display? If so, would you pay more for one as opposed to a handset with a traditional glass screen?
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