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Consumer electronic glass specialist Corning has unveiled its latest damage resistant creation, fuelling speculation it may be used in the next wave of Apple products.
Consumer electronic glass specialist Corning has unveiled its latest damage resistant creation, fuelling speculation it may be used in the next wave of Apple products.
What is Gorilla Glass?
Gorilla Glass is the trademark for an alkali-aluminosilicate sheet glass manufactured by U.S. glassmaker Corning. Engineered for a combination of thinness, lightness, and damage-resistance, it is used primarily as the cover glass for portable electronic devices including mobile phones, portable media players, laptop computer displays, and some television screens.
The manufacturer says the material’s primary properties are its strength (allowing thin glass without fragility), its high scratch resistance (for protective coating), and its hardness (with a Vickers hardness test rating of 622 to 701) — and that the material can be recycled.
Gorilla Glass by 2010 had been used in approximately 20 percent of mobile handsets worldwide, about 200 million units. The second generation, called “Gorilla Glass 2″, was introduced in 2012. On October 24, 2012, Corning announced that over one billion mobile devices used Gorilla Glass.And now its “Gorila Glass 3″.
Corning
Corning Incorporated is the world leader in specialty glass and ceramics. Drawing on more than 160 years of materials science and process engineering knowledge, Corning creates and makes keystone components that enable high-technology systems for consumer electronics, mobile emissions control, telecommunications and life sciences. Learn more about how Corning collaborates closely with customers across these industries to turn what were once only possibilities into breakthrough realities.At this week’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, the American-based company, which is listed on the New York Stock Exchange, introduced the Gorilla Glass 3 with Native Damage Resistance.
This latest version of the ‘most widely deployed damage-resistant cover glass for consumer electronic devices’, is based on a new glass composition featuring durability enhancements developed at the ‘atomic structural level’ of the glass, Corning’s senior vice president and general manager, James R. Steiner, said.
Alleged to be Apple’s ‘worst kept secret’ many believe Apple has used Gorilla Glass in several of its product categories, despite it not being listed in Corning’s customer product list. Rumour has it that Apple’s next range of iOS products, including the iPhone 6 and iPad 5, will feature this latest glass innovation.
A statement on the glass manufacturer’s website said: “Due to customer agreements, we cannot identify all devices that feature Gorilla Glass. Your favorite device may include Gorilla Glass, even if you don’t see it listed. Ask your manufacturer or retailer to learn more.”
Although Steiner has not confirmed if Apple is signing up to its latest invention, he said that product qualification and design implementation for Gorilla Glass 3 are underway with Corning’s global customers, who are expected to unveil new devices featuring it in mid-2013.
“While we’ve optimized our glass with the most robust chemical strengthening, we challenged our research teams to develop a new way to make cover glass even less susceptible to scratches and other damage. This new solution significantly improves durability, while maintaining the thinness needed for touch-enabled consumer devices,” Stenier added.
Apple is smart and let us wait for its toughness to be unveiled!
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