Going ape over cracked phone? Gorilla responds
Dropping your smartphone midselfie may soon be less traumatic.
New York glass maker Corning has unveiled the latest iteration of Gorilla Glass, which the company claims is four times as likely to survive a fall from waist or shoulder height than its competitors. Gorilla Glass products have been used in 4.5 billion devices since 2007, including products from Samsung, Apple, Motorola and others, according to the company’s website.
A global survey cited by Corning revealed that 85 percent of smartphone users have dropped their mobile devices at least once in the past year and that 55 percent have dropped their mobile devices three or more times in the past year.
In laboratory tests, Corning dropped phones face down onto “rough, unforgiving surfaces,” such as asphalt, from waist and shoulder height, presuming that many accidents happen while putting a phone in your pocket or taking a photo. Gorilla Glass 5 remains intact after falls from about 5 feet approximately 80 percent of the time, the company asserts.
Gorilla Glass is hardly the first innovation for the 160year-old Corning. The company’s history includes developing the casing for Thomas Edison’s incandescent light, the original heatresistant glass cookware and the cathode ray tubes that were used in experimental television sets.
Corning’s release comes as consumers are keeping their smartphones for longer periods before upgrading, said William Stofega, an industry analyst at IDC. Fewer mobile phone carriers and manufacturers are offering subsidies to purchase new phones, which has contributed to more consumers leasing devices or paying full retail prices.
“Everyone is paying top dollar for premium devices, (and) these devices have been prone to shattering,” Stofega said.