Corning seems to feel a little threatened by the possible future use of sapphire in the place of Gorilla Glass as a resilient covering for smartphone displays, as it has published a feature outlining why its latest Gorilla Glass 3 is a better option than sapphire for mobile device displays
…citing greater strength, lower weight, less energy cost in production, and significantly lower pricing. And with those features has come widespread adoption, with Corning reporting that over 1.5 billion devices have been made with Gorilla Glass.
Jeffrey W. Evenson, Corning’s senior vice president, remarked, “Discussion seems to center around sapphire as an obvious solution for a cover material. What would people say if someone invented a cover that was about half the weight, used 99 percent less energy to make, provided brighter displays, and cost less than a tenth of sapphire? I think they’d say that sapphire was in real trouble. It so happens that we at Corning already invented that cover – and it’s called Gorilla Glass.” Evenson noted that the tests by the company so far indicate Gorilla Glass requires about three times more force to break than sapphire after both materials have received similar wear and tear.
Corning’s feature also notes the the company has already trimmed the material’s thickness to the point where it can be curved and shaped without losing strength. Earlier this year, reports abounded that Apple was developing a curved glass smart watch. Such a product could take advantage of curved Gorilla Glass.
Corning also laid out its future plans for Gorilla Glass, which includes a version that reduces reflections for better visibility in bright sunlight, and also incorporates antimicrobial technology to minimize germs on your mobile device.
