If the iPhone 7 uses a ceramic back cover, will it break if it falls?
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MIT Technology Review recently wrote that although there are rumors in the industry that the next generation of iPhone may use a ceramic shell, this technology still faces many technical bottlenecks. Since Apple released the iPhone 7 in San Francisco on September 7, people from all walks of life have been mourning the disappearance of the headphone jack. But at the same time, rumors about the new iPhone have also begun to emerge quietly: Apple may launch an iPhone with a ceramic shell next year, abandoning the previous metal shell. Two things hint at this possibility: First, the company already sells a product with a bright white ceramic case: the $1,249 Apple Watch Edition; and second, it has several patents describing the design and production process for a handheld computing device with a ceramic case. Producing such a phone is inherently risky, as ceramic cases are fragile, have limited color options, and are expensive to make. The Apple Watch case is made from a combination of zirconium oxide and aluminum oxide ceramics. These high-tech ceramic materials are resilient. Ceramic engine parts and dental fillings, for example, can withstand repeated wear and tear. In portable electronics, this can result in excellent scratch resistance—allowing a beautiful ceramic watch case to withstand all kinds of wear and tear. Another big advantage of ceramic is its hardness. A ceramic watch or phone case can be made very thin without sacrificing hardness or warping. Apple has run into similar problems before: During the "bendgate" crisis in 2014, some iPhone 6 Plus owners claimed that the phone's aluminum case was so thin that it warped when placed in their trouser pockets. But if you've ever broken a ceramic plate or cup, you'll know that ceramic phones are a headache. Even high-tech ceramic cases can break easily, with disastrous consequences—even though they are much stronger than a ceramic mug. Zirconia ceramics are prized for their toughness, however, says Catherine Fabre, a materials scientist at the California Institute of Technology. When cracks form in the material, they force the crystal structure to change to a more stable state under pressure. "This compresses the cracks and makes it harder for them to propagate," she says. Even so, Robert Rich, a materials scientist and mechanical engineer at the University of California, Berkeley, says it's not hard to imagine the horrific consequences of dropping a ceramic phone: Not only the screen but also the case could break, especially if it hits an angled surface. While such an imaginary phone is not yet available, some ceramic experts are optimistic. Properly designed zirconium oxide ceramics are very strong, says Desiderio Covo, a mechanical engineer of ceramic materials at the University of Texas at Austin. He points out that ceramic hammers have been made . "Whether an object is brittle or not is not just a function of the material and the forces applied to it, but also of the design and geometry of the components," he says. Apple's patent suggests that the company has given this option serious consideration. One patent suggests they may have developed a more drop-resistant watch, devising a manufacturing process to remove air bubbles from the ceramic material. The more perfect and balanced the ceramic, the less likely it is to break. But even with a top-notch design, Rich says the inherent properties of ceramic remain unchanged. “A ceramic watch will never be as drop-resistant as a metal watch — it would be against the laws of physics to do so,” he says. Ceramic also lacks in color options, at least for now. The Apple Watch’s shiny white exterior makes it a natural fit for a ceramic case, but zirconium oxide ceramics are rarely available in colors other than dark gray. Unless the company has other technologies to fall back on, the options are likely to be limited. Sapphire, Fabre points out, has a similar chemical formula to aluminum oxide and can come in brilliant blue, ruby red, and pink. But differences in the crystal structure mean those colors can’t be seen in the material’s ceramic form. Another big drawback to high-performance ceramics is the cost of production. Ceramic is more expensive not because of the material itself, but because of the labor-intensive process used to make it. Shaping takes a long time, and getting a smooth surface requires extensive polishing. Apple also seems to be touting the labor costs of this process to create a luxury image for the Apple Watch, emphasizing that each watch takes several days to produce. In fact, Apple is not the only company to use ceramic materials in watches. For example, Swiss watch company Omega also sells watches with ceramic cases. The company also uses a material called metallic glass or liquid metal. Omega's marketing materials show that this alloy in the watch is three times harder than stainless steel. Apple and Samsung both have patents related to liquid metal. These materials may be used to produce phone cases - but nothing is certain. Rumors of a ceramic iPhone may be just that.As a winner of Toutiao's Qingyun Plan and Baijiahao's Bai+ Plan, the 2019 Baidu Digital Author of the Year, the Baijiahao's Most Popular Author in the Technology Field, the 2019 Sogou Technology and Culture Author, and the 2021 Baijiahao Quarterly Influential Creator, he has won many awards, including the 2013 Sohu Best Industry Media Person, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Beijing Third Place, the 2015 Guangmang Experience Award, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Finals Third Place, and the 2018 Baidu Dynamic Annual Powerful Celebrity. |
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