14 DAY TRIAL // Apple’s partner in crime for the next wave of sapphire-coated products has released its outlook for 2014, possibly indicating the launch date of iPhone 6 and (why not?) even the iWatch.
Tom Gutierrez, president and chief executive officer of GT Advanced, tells investors, “Our results for the December quarter were in line with our guidance and the anticipated growth trajectory of our business remains unchanged.”
He then adds, “We expect to return to profitability during the second half of 2014.”
The CEO doesn’t offer a reason for this anticipated spike in profits, though it’s not hard to connect the dots knowing that GT Advanced has recently secured a major deal with Apple to supply the Cupertino giant with obscene amounts of sapphire crystal for its upcoming products.
These products are thought to be the iPhone 6 (possibly two variants of the same smartphone iteration), and the iWatch, a rumored smartwatch that could use curved sapphire crystal as its upper housing.
It isn’t clear which of these products gives GT Advanced enough indications for such a bold forecast, but “The company expects that 2014 will be a transformational year, one in which it builds a sapphire materials business while continuing to invest in the new technologies that will drive its equipment business in 2015 and beyond.”
The company adds that it “expects that revenue and profitability will be back end loaded, with its sapphire materials business ramping as the year progresses, and with improving financial performance during the second half of 2014.”
Long story short, Apple should start selling its iPhone 6 and/or iWatch no later than the September quarter. The device(s) however may be introduced at the company’s annual developer event in the June-July timeframe.
Historically, Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference has been the launchpad for some of the company’s most revolutionary products, including the very first iPhone and the very first iPad ever introduced.
Apple this year is also expected to launch an upgraded iPad Air which may or may not boast sapphire crystal, but it will surely pack a faster processor, more memory, and perhaps an even more efficient battery.
iPhone 6, however, remains the key figure regarding Apple’s sapphire usage. The company continues to sell its high-end smartphones in the tens of millions every quarter, and there’s no indication that this trend is coming to an end.
If the latest rumors are to be believed, Apple should introduce a version sporting a 4.7-inch display and one with a screen that goes well beyond the 5.5-inch mark.