Corning announces Gorilla Glass 5, will save your phone in case of a drop

Corning has just announced Gorilla Glass 5, the next version of strengthened glass used in smartphone displays around the world.

With the newest version, Corning has improved drop resistance. A 0.6mm thick layer of Gorilla Glass 5 will survive a drop from a height of 1.6m (5.2 ft) 80% of times. With Gorilla Glass 4, the company improved drop protection bn as well but it came at the cost of lowered scratch resistance when compared to Gorilla Glass 3.

According to Corning's research, 85% people have dropped their smartphone atleast once last year and over two-thirds of them happen from waist height. Therefore, the majority of the company's focus over some time has been to improve drop resistance. Gorilla Glass is used in over 4.5 billion devices around the world in more than 1800 product models from 40 major brands including the likes of Samsung, HTC, LG and Motorola.

John Bayne, VP and General Manager, Corning Gorilla Glass added:

With each successive generation of Corning Gorilla Glass, we have taken cover glass technology to new levels. Gorilla Glass 5 is no exception, extending Corning’s advantage in drop performance over competitive glasses. With many real-world drops occurring from between waist and shoulder height, we knew improving drop performance would be an important and necessary advancement.

Gorilla Glass 5 is now in production and we will see devices with it by the end of this year.