The future of phone displays may be diamond-encrusted

You’ve probably experienced a moment where, in a flash of clumsiness or mindlessness, your smartphone slips from your hands and lands screen-down on some hard surface. In the event that the screen escapes unscathed, maybe you opt to go with a protective sleeve, though those can end up tattered quite easily. The solution is simple — have you ever considered opting for a diamond display?

As noted by ZDNet, a diamond screen-lining could be commercially viable in the near future. AKHAN could be the one to make that a reality; it’s a semiconductor manufacturer that specializes in diamond-based solutions for glass and electronics. The company recently secured $20 million in funding to introduce its Miraj Diamond Glass to the devices in most of our pockets.

AKHAN is gearing up to become a major competitor in the electronics display space. One major issue that screen protection faces is the ability to create a product that enhances durability without becoming too heavy. Miraj Glass is positioned as an industry disruptor, with its ability to combine “chemically-hardened aluminosilicate (e.g. Corning Gorilla Glass®), ceramic glass (e.g. Corning Ceramic Shield®), and BK-7,” for a display that is harder, stronger, and cooler to the touch than leading glass products.

The benefits of diamond— AKHAN debuted the world’s first diamond smartphone screen in 2017, made possible by its unique combination of materials, processes, and and proprietary designs. The company claims that its diamond screen protectors are six times stronger, ten times harder, and over eight-hundred times cooler than leading glass solutions.

Miraj Diamond Optics takes advantage of the properties of bulk natural diamond found in “proprietary thin-films conducive for single & multilayer optical windows, mirrors, and lenses.” Additional benefits include water- and oil-resistance as well as protection in extreme environments.

AKHAN will be using the newly raised capital to bolster its Gurnee, Illinois, facility, dubbed "Diamond Mine 1." Its diamond-screen technology can also be applied to meet other consumer tech needs for wearables and AR/VR systems.

The semiconductor company was founded in 2013, and its products are implemented across a range of industries from aerospace and defense systems to consumer electronics. According to AKHAN, current glass screen technology has reached its peak — time to move into the diamond era.

Really there’s only one question left, in our minds: Will it fold?