Does the stainless and edition watch versions for Series 6 have a sapphire crystal? The type of glass is not listed in the tech specs. Can you also confirm the crystal in the aluminum series 6 watches, Ion-X Glass?
I had a chat with a Sales Specialist who said she double checked it and it remains the same as the Series 4 and 5, the Stainless Steel, Titanium, and Hermes are sapphire crystals, all others are Ion-X. I sent feedback that Apple should add this information.
I also contacted Apple's Customer Support and the person I talked to says they couldn't find any documentation to confirm the material used for the display on the Series 6. None of the other agents around them could confirm that either. They said most likely it would remain the same as the previous generations (sapphire for steel and titanium, Ion-X for aluminum); however, they said that since they could not confirm this information, to just wait till the watch is physically available where someone will be able to confirm the material by looking at the backside. I couldn't find any promo material that showed the backside of the stainless steel model. The AR model on Apple's website is the aluminum model. Even Apple's technical documentation has not been updated to show the materials. Here is a link to the support page that shows material compositions of their watches for people with skin allergies: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204665
For now, it's a waiting game (albeit a brief one).
The stainless steel and titanium have sapphire crystal. The aluminum has Ion-X. They just updated their specs page to reflect the Series 6 materials: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204665.
My series 6 stainless says on the back: ceramic case. Sapphire crystal. GPS. Etc
so it is like the previous stainless with a sapphire cover “glass”.
I have the stainless steel Apple Watch series 6 and can confirm the cover “glass” is sapphire.
Jedi Knife wrote:
Maybe in the future we will be able to order specific case material and crystal materials to our preferences; that would be a great option!
You should suggest that to Apple:
That link doesn’t work. Apple still had no disclosures anywhere on their website that states the front display glass materials for each Series 6 watch.
I also had a chat with an Apple specialist who replied the following.
Thank you for your patience, but we can’t seem to find anything that discusses the display materials on any of the watches. Stainless or otherwise. I’m not sure what that means, but I cannot guarantee that the stainless watch has a sapphire display.
It looks like their “strategy” this time around was focusing on the gimmicky health features instead of design and construction. It is a losing strategy when it comes to intelligent consumers who look at things like construction and materials and are willing to pay more money for a better made product. They probably handed this whole Watch Series 6 sales and marketing cycle off to a team headed or staffed with less than qualified members for some reason...
Yes you are right Deggie the health features aren’t gimmicky; I really appreciate the ECG and its one reason why I’m upgrading. Apple should be putting sapphire crystals in all their Watch models for lots of reasons, like you mentioned one of them being that the Apple Watch really is outselling the former standard bearers of quality watch making brands. I guess a good takeaway for Apple would be to make their watches well crafted with as many quality materials as possible throughout their line since they are now a de facto leading watch brand.
If you have been looking at watches lately the cost of silicone crystals has increased. They could add it to the lower end models but they would have to raise the price. For some, such as mountain bike riders, etc Ion- X is the better option.
Start your company and get right on that. But even if you designed a replaceable module you have the same problem. Apple recycles the Apple Watch or their partner resells them so in essence they are already doing what you have suggested.
I wish there was some justification for “it will be obsolete in a couple of years I’ll just buy another one” but it requires more than any company; more like a paradigm shift no one seems willing to make. I thought a fellow horologist would understand sorry for treading too deeply.
And yet this information cannot be confirmed online anywhere and only anecdotally through untrained sales people. Bad job Apple.
Crystal (glass) material for Apple Watch Series 6?
