Paul Morris on July 19, 2018, 2:04 am

Corning Gorilla Glass 6 Announced, Features Multi-Drop Protection

Corning has today introduced what is describing as a vital component of “next-generation mobile devices.” Gorilla Glass 6 is the next iteration of Corning’s revolutionary product and promises to offer “improved durability” and “unprecedented protection against multiple drops.”

Consumers expect all manufacturers to continually be progressing their offerings and making them better with each release. Where Gorilla Glass 6 is concerned, that’s exactly what Corning is looking to deliver.

The product is said to be the most durable version of Gorilla Glass to date and has been entirely re-engineered from a new material that has been designed to withstand multiple drops and ensure that smartphones and other mobile devices are kept in pristine condition, as explained by John Bayne, vice president and general manager of Corning Gorilla Glass:

As consumers become more dependent on their smartphones, the opportunity for potentially damaging drops is also on the rise. Now more than ever, it’s critical that the cover glass provides outstanding protection. Corning Gorilla Glass 6 improves upon Gorilla® Glass 5 by surviving drops from higher heights, but, more importantly, has been engineered to survive multiple drops.

The new glass composition has been chemically strengthened to offer “higher levels of compression” than what was possible with the previous iteration of the product. This new design change has been put in place to counteract the extreme likelihood that a smartphone will be dropped on multiple occasions. The idea is that the new levels of compression will assist and help the device built with Gorilla Glass 6 survive multiple drops.

Apple has famously moved to what is nearly an all-glass design with hardware like iPhone X, iPhone 8, and iPhone 8 Plus. The company is set to release three new smartphone models this year, and will likely keep the same design ethos going forward into 2019 and beyond. If so, this new Corning revolution should immediately give additional peace of mind and protect the device, if used. Apple has invested heavily in Corning with the company receiving $200 million from Apple in 2017 as part of its Advanced Manufacturing Fund.

The new Gorilla Glass 6 product is currently being evaluated and put through its paces by multiple Corning customers, of which Apple is likely one. We will likely see the first smartphones utilizing this breakthrough hitting the market before the year is out.