Corning has surprised everybody at CES 2017 with the ultimate version of Gorilla Glass, a material specially designed to protect cell phones.
Gorilla Glass 5 was tested along with a regular cell phone protective glass using a pendulum, which simulated a fall from a height of 1.6 meters. That is the average height users tend to drop their phones from.
Gorilla Glass 5 survived the test perfectly intact whereas the regular glass broke using the minimum height of the pendulum. That means the product has the capacity of surviving a shoulder-height fall in 80% of the times.
According to statistics, 3 of 4 people break their cell phones’ displays when they accidentally drop them. The study also shows most users let their phones fall while they are walking.
What are the benefits of gorilla glass 5?
According to the company, the product offers improved drop performance and higher retained strength after use. It is also resistant to scratches. The glass has a superior surface quality, and it also gives the optical clarity and the touch sensibility the average user requires.
The product has many applications that help improve the quality of current mobile devices. It is the ideal protective cover for electronic displays, so its reach goes beyond cell phones.
Gorilla glass 5 can be used for laptops, tablets, any device that works with a touchscreen, even wearables like smartwatches. Another possible application for the material would be vehicles, as Ford announced the 2016 GT model would come with Gorilla Glass windshields.
The glass is currently being developed with a thickness that ranges from 0.4mm to 1.3mm depending on the purpose.
The Gorilla Glass sunroof has an opacity layer in it. Watch it go from clear to near opaque. #MashCES #CES2017 pic.twitter.com/rLi33RiwPr
— Lance Ulanoff (@LanceUlanoff) January 5, 2017
Corning didn’t reveal what cell phones are going to start using Gorilla Glass 5, but according to them, it will be present in many gadgets soon.
Some cell phones like the Samsung Galaxy III use older versions of Gorilla Glass, but many people are looking forward to acquiring devices that use Gorilla Glass 5 after the successful test at CES 2017.
Is gorilla glass the solution to all our breakage problems?
According to the company, the glass itself is not the only important factor that determines whether a smartphone will survive a fall.
The shape and design the device has is another important aspect, as the glass is more or less resistant depending on the form it has. That means new devices will have to find the best design to bear the glass and exploit all its characteristics.
Source: Corning
