In a world where we rely heavily on our smartphones, the fragility of these devices, particularly their glass construction, remains a significant concern. Corning, the company behind Gorilla Glass, has unveiled its latest solution: Gorilla Glass Ceramic. This new material aims to provide enhanced protection against drops and impacts, potentially saving countless devices from shattered screens. Gorilla Glass Ceramic incorporates ceramic components into its structure, resulting in improved strength compared to traditional hardened glass. Corning's lab tests demonstrate that this new material can withstand up to 10 drops from a height of one meter onto surfaces mimicking asphalt. In contrast, competitive aluminosilicate glasses typically fail on the first drop, highlighting the significant improvement in durability offered by Gorilla Glass Ceramic. While the specific reasons for not using actual asphalt in testing remain unclear, the results still suggest a considerable advancement in drop resistance. Chemically strengthened glass has been instrumental in the widespread adoption of smartphones. Corning has been a key player in this market, supplying glass for over 7 billion devices since the first iPhone in 2007. While Corning remains the dominant glass supplier, it faces increasing competition, particularly in the budget and mid-range segments. The introduction of Gorilla Glass Ceramic aims to solidify Corning's position at the higher end of the market. It's important to note that Corning hasn't directly compared Gorilla Glass Ceramic to its existing Gorilla Glass Victus 2, which also boasts impressive drop resistance. Additionally, the Gorilla Glass Armor series, known for its anti-reflective properties and featured on Samsung Galaxy Ultra flagships, differs from the new ceramic version. Corning's previous foray into ceramic-infused glass, Apple's Ceramic Shield, has been well-received for its strength, suggesting a promising future for Gorilla Glass Ceramic in the Android ecosystem, albeit likely in more expensive devices. The continued focus on developing stronger glass, rather than switching to alternative materials, stems from several factors. Glass offers superior scratch resistance compared to plastic, making it ideal for screens. Furthermore, glass backs enable wireless charging and magnetic attachment, features now expected in premium phones. Glass can also improve wireless signal strength compared to metal bodies. The "glass sandwich" design, where glass is placed inside a metal frame, significantly enhances a phone's structural integrity, preventing bending issues that plagued earlier aluminum phone designs. The industry widely adopted the glass sandwich design because of the unique properties of glass. While glass has low tensile strength, making it prone to cracking upon impact, its compressive strength is exceptionally high. By encasing strengthened glass within a metal frame, devices become remarkably stiff and resistant to bending forces. This design choice represents a trade-off, balancing the fragility of glass with its other beneficial properties. The industry awaits to see if Gorilla Glass Ceramic will make handling phones less risky. While Corning regularly releases new versions of Gorilla Glass, their adoption across all devices isn't guaranteed. Motorola is set to be the first to feature Gorilla Glass Ceramic in its devices in the coming months, likely on the exterior of the next foldable Razr. This initial adoption will provide valuable insights into the real-world performance and durability of this innovative material.
