Gorilla-Glass

[Image above] Coring debuts Gorilla Glass 5. Credit: Corning; YouTube

We’ve followed Corning’s Gorilla Glass evolution over the years. In November 2014, we reported on the debut of Gorilla Glass 4. At the time, it was Corning’s strongest glass yet.

Gorilla Glass 4 promised to be two times tougher than any competitive cover glass on the market. And toughness is a premium asset for smartphone users—especially when you consider that nearly 50% of smartphone users in the U.S. have either damaged or lost their device at some point during ownership, according to a study conducted by Verizon and KRC Research.  

Well, fellow smartphone owners… Corning’s done it again.

The company recently unveiled the next generation of tough with Gorilla Glass 5, which “touts dramatically improved drop performance compared with competitive glass designs and earlier versions of Gorilla Glass,” according to Corning’s website.

Compared to the previous version, Gorilla Glass 5 can survive drops up to 1.6 meters up to 80% of the time, Corning explains, and is up to four times better in drop height to failure.

“With each successive generation of Corning Gorilla Glass, we have taken cover glass technology to new levels. Gorilla Glass 5 is no exception, extending Corning’s advantage in drop performance over competitive glasses,” says John Bayne, vice president and general manager, Corning Gorilla Glass, in an announcement on the company’s website. “With many real-world drops occurring from between waist and shoulder height, we knew improving drop performance would be an important and necessary advancement.”

To date, Gorilla Glass is incorporated into devices manufactured from more than 40 major brands and over 1,800 product models, totaling 4.5 billion devices since its launch in 2007, according to Corning.

Here’s to a future where smartphone owners can accidentally drop their device on parking lot asphalt without fear while digging around for their car keys with a coffee in their hand. (Speaking for a friend, of course.)

Check out Corning’s latest video that debuts the new Gorilla Glass 5.

Credit: Corning; YouTube

Share/Print