LED lighting demands are booming this year, according to a report in the Economic Daily News. Sapphire substrate manufacturers saw good operational performance in 1Q14, and remain optimistic as the industry moves into 2Q14. PSS and 4 inch sapphire ingot remain in short supply and prices in turn continue to rise. Revenue for LED application related manufacturers doubled in March and LED related PSS manufacturers, including Crystalwise Technology,  Rigidtech Microelectronics, and ProCrystal, saw record highs in revenue. 

There have been rumors lately that mobile devices including Apple’s iWatch and iPhone 6 as well as Xiaomi’s new mobile phones will include sapphire substrate. If sapphire substrate is used in mobile phone displays, legal persons believe that this will set off another battle for sapphire resources among manufacturers.