Corning launches Gorilla Glass 5, can survive drops from 1.6 metres

Addressing consumers concerns of breakage of mobile phones from everyday drops, Corning has come up with Gorilla Glass 5. The successor to the Gorilla Glass 4 protection, the company claims the Gorilla Glass 5 can survives drops onto rough surfaces up to four times better than competitive glass designs. According to the lab tests conducted by the company, the new glass can survive up to 80 per cent of the time when dropped face-down from 1.6 metres. It will allow manufacturers to provide the high-resolution, touch-enabled devices with better protection against breakage.

"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," said John Bayne, vice president and general manager, Corning Gorilla Glass.

The Gorilla Glass 5 is available for use and the company expects to see devices protected by the same by the end of year. Till date, Corning Gorilla Glass has been used on more than 4.5 billion devices worldwide, including more than 1,800 product models across 40 brands.

Corning has also shared numbers from a global study, Toluna's Quicksurvey panel, claiming that over 85 per cent of smartphone owners have dropped their phones at least once per year and 55 per cent have dropped their phones three times or more. Additionally, more than 60 per cent of smartphone owners reported dropping their devices between shoulder and waist height.