For some years now, no one knows for sure what type of glass Apple uses to coat the screen of their iPhones – after plans to put the sapphire on phones apparently went downhill, the mystery remained. Some say that they use Gorilla Glass, which basically equips all smartphones in the Android world, and that Apple simply does not authorize this disclosure; if it is true, we will be indebted.
The fact is that Corning, manufacturer of the ubiquitous glass related to apes, today presented the new generation of its main product: the Gorilla Glass 5, even more powerful in protecting against the notorious falls.
According to the company, a 0.6mm thick Gorilla Glass 5 survives 80% of the 1.6m falls (the average operating height of a smartphone with the user standing) without a single splinter. Since 85% of users have dropped their precious smart phones to the floor at least once in the last year, according to a survey by Corning itself, this is more than welcome news.
In addition, more technology (and chemistry) has been incorporated into the new version of the material, which is now even more resistant to the dreaded scratches and scrapes.
It is worth noting that, unlike the sapphire used by Apple in Watch and Watch Edition, which is a totally different material, Gorilla Glass is still the good old glass – after diving into a solution of potassium salts at over 400º and be extremely fortified in the ion exchange process, that is.
According to Corning, production of Gorilla Glass 5 has already started and the first devices equipped with the superglass will appear on the market by the end of the year.
[via The Verge]
