The new smartphone glass from Corning, according to the company, offers better defense against drops onto rough, hard surfaces.
If Corning’s new glass lives up to its promises, your next smartphone might be better at withstanding drops onto concrete.
On Wednesday, the business unveiled the most recent iteration of its tough glass for smartphones, Gorilla Glass Victus 2. The new glass, according to Corning, should offer better drop resistance on rougher surfaces.
The announcement is significant because popular phones from brands like Samsung and Google feature Corning’s Gorilla Glass, possibly offering a sneak peek at what to anticipate from next year’s new gadgets. Corning was unable to provide more information, but the first items to use the new glass should be available in the coming months. The introduction of Corning’s more resilient smartphone glass coincides with a resurgence in interest in extending the life of mobile devices for both ethical and practical reasons.
The next form of Gorilla Glass should be better able to endure drops on harder surfaces, which is one of the greatest distinctions between Gorilla Glass Victus 2 and the present model. According to the business, lab tests showed the new glass could withstand drops onto a concrete-like surface from heights of up to one meter. Comparatively, surfaces made to resemble asphalt was used to test the Gorilla Glass Victus.
According to John Bayne, senior vice president, and general manager of Corning’s mobile consumer electronics division, “We had to find an even harsher test to interrogate the surface.” “And that is what concrete is. AcIt’sore difficult than asphalt.”
Because real-world surfaces deteriorate after repeated drops, the company uses materials that mimic concrete rather than actual concrete, according to Corning.
According to Corning, Gorilla Glass Victus 2 should offer superior cover glass protection for larger and heavier phones. To more truly reflect today’s larger size devices, the test puck that the business employs to imitate the shape and weight of a real phone during the testing process is now about 15% heavier. For foldable phones like the Galaxy Z Fold 4, which weighs 263 grams and is substantially heavier than the 228-gram Galaxy S22 Ultra, it might be very helpful. The cover screen and rear glass of the Galaxy Z Fold 4 are already exclusive glass for Samsung Galaxy devices.
Every 18 to 24 months, Corning routinely introduces new iterations of their glass, according to Bayne. However, the release of Gorilla Glass Vicus 2 coincides with consumers keeping their gadgets for extended periods of time, highlighting the demand for more robust goods.
Consumers are now waiting three and a half years before trading in their devices to upgrade to a new phone, according to data from Assurant, an insurance provider that also assists businesses in developing device trade-in programs. A 2021 study by the electronics repair company UBreakIFix also found that two smartphone screens break in the US every second.
Annual upgrades may not be as attractive as they once were, which is one of the reasons why consumers may not be replacing their phones as regularly as they once did. However, Bayne believes there is still space for improvement in terms of smartphone durability, particularly when it comes to creating glass that is both strong and thin.
To be honest, he said, “Our work will never be finished.
