Chinese vendor Desay has manufactured an “unbreakable” smartphone with a display made of sapphire, with a surprising price of just CNY999 (US$161), according to The Wall Street Journal.

Called Magical Mirror X5, it is being made available through operator China Mobile. Other features of the MediaTek-powered device include 13MP front and 5MP rear cameras and slimline form-factor.

The report suggests that the company may not cover costs with the device, with it instead being a limited-edition marketing tool intended to boost its brand – and it is certainly seeing some press interest.

It was suggested earlier this year that Apple was exploring sapphire screens for its iPhone line, although this did not come to fruition. Such a feature is on the spec sheet for its anticipated smartwatch.

Huawei announced a sapphire screen version of its Ascend P7 smartphone. Sapphire displays have also been used in devices from premium vendor Vertu.

The Wall Street Journal said that a Desay group company supplies battery technology to Apple.