Gorilla Glass 4 Promises Tougher Devices

Corning claims Gorilla Glass 4 is up to twice as tough as any competing hardened glass display covers, being designed to handle the top mobile device customer concern-- screen breakage from everyday drops.

Gorilla Glass 4“With Gorilla Glass 4, we have focused on significantly improving protection against sharp contact damage, which is the primary reason that mobile devices break," the company says. "Dropping and breaking a phone is a common problem, and one that our customers have asked us to help address.”

According to Corning Gorilla Glass 4 survives 80% of face-down falls on rough surfaces, and retains most of its strength following a shatter-free fall, thanks to manufacture via proprietary "fusion draw" process. In comparison non-hardened soda-lime glass (the kind used in bottles and windows) breaks nearly 100% of the time in similar tests.

Many devices carry Gorilla Glass displays, including iPhones and iPads. Apple was considering replacing it with scratch-resistant sapphire in the iPhone 6, but such plans fell through when supplier GT Advanced declared bankruptcy earlier this year.

Corning says its customers are already receiving Gorilla Glass 4 shipments, and products carrying the material should hit the market from 2015.

Go Corning Gorilla Glass 4