Apple Supplier Corning Releases New Gorilla Glass for Camera Lenses

[MacRumors]

Corning, an Apple supplier known for its protective glass offerings, today announced the launch of new scratch resistant glass composite products designed for mobile device cameras.

The Corning Gorilla Glass with DX and Corning Gorilla Glass with DX+ are designed to allow professional-grade image capture through what Corning says is a combination of advanced optical performance, superior scratch resistance, and durability.

Corning says that with Gorilla Glass DX+, camera lenses can capture 98 percent of light, an improvement over a camera lens that doesn't use the technology. With more light, the intensity of ghosting is reduced.

In lab tests, Gorilla Glass DX+ was more scratch resistant than glass with a standard AR coating, and it beat out standard Gorilla Glass as well. It withstood scratch tests with up to 4kg of force, and Corning says that it approaches the scratch resistance of sapphire.

As The Verge points out, Corning has previously used DX/DX+ Gorilla Glass for smart watches.

Apple uses Corning's Gorilla Glass to protect its iPhone displays, but iPhone cameras are covered with sapphire crystal for protection. It is not clear if Corning's Gorilla Glass DX products for camera lenses will eventually make their way into iPhone models, and Corning says its first customer to adopt Gorilla Glass DX for camera lenses will be Samsung.

Apple is likely to continue using sapphire if it's the more durable option, but if Gorilla Glass DX+ offers the same protection at a lower price point, it would perhaps be feasible for the Cupertino company to switch to a new material.

Apple has provided Corning with millions of dollars for product development as part of Apple's Advanced Manufacturing Fund. In 2017, Corning received $200 million, and in 2019, Corning received another $250 million. Apple awarded Corning with another $45 million earlier this year, with the total funds going toward Corning's research and development into "state-of-the-art glass processes" that led to the creation of the Ceramic Shield displays used in the iPhone 12 lineup.

Article Link: Apple Supplier Corning Releases New Gorilla Glass for Camera Lenses

 

[hoodafoo]

Why can't they just make screens/lens covers made out of sapphire and be done with it instead of coming out with a "new and improved" version of glass each year?

 

[no_idea]

Why can't they just make screens/lens covers made out of sapphire and be done with it instead of coming out with a "new and improved" version of glass each year?

$$$$$$$$$
^ that’s why

 

[Seanm87]

Why can't they just make screens/lens covers made out of sapphire and be done with it instead of coming out with a "new and improved" version of glass each year?

Money and its heavy

 

[JM]

The **** Apple will use their sapphire chemical aberration over Corning if it’s more scratch resistant. They’ll go with whatever is cheapest as long as it’s “good enough”

I love Apple, but they are NOT premium anymore.

 

[_Spinn_]

Why can't they just make screens/lens covers made out of sapphire and be done with it instead of coming out with a "new and improved" version of glass each year?

There are many reasons including money and weight but the biggest is probably that sapphire is very scratch resistant but more likely to shattering when dropped.

Why Apple Didn’t Use Sapphire iPhone Screens

And why you might not see it in the near future, either

time.com

 

[BRZmba]

Apple doesn’t use sapphire for their camera lens despite what they claim. Check out Jerry Rig This on YouTube where he does a Mohs hardness scratch test. All lenses scratch at a level 8. Sapphire has a Mohs hardness of 9.

 

[coolman124]

There are many reasons including money and weight but the biggest is probably that sapphire is very scratch resistant but more likely to shattering when dropped.

Why Apple Didn’t Use Sapphire iPhone Screens

And why you might not see it in the near future, either

time.com

most sapphire phones are rugged to the point where the chances of it cracking are low but it scratching is really high

 

[Cosmosent]

$200M + $250M + $45M = $495M ! ... that's a serious R&D "Grant" over the past four years !

Some sites have confused it with an Investment, but it's NOT, it's simply an R&D Grant, same thing Apple does for its Apple Arcade Game Dev companies.

 

[Gmouse]

I thought a few years ago someone discovered that the "sapphire" lens cover was just a sapphire coating over glass, not a solid sapphire crystal?

 

[abhibeckert]

Why can't they just make screens/lens covers made out of sapphire and be done with it instead of coming out with a "new and improved" version of glass each year?

The "new and improved" glass is still pretty bad.

Presumably there's a reason they don't use sapphire and I doubt it's cost. Apple customers would gladly pay more for durability.

 

[abhibeckert]

I thought a few years ago someone discovered that the "sapphire" lens cover was just a sapphire coating over glass, not a solid sapphire crystal?

As you can see from the article artwork, there are dozens of layers in a camera lens. Obviously only the outer layer is sapphire. Also sapphire isn't very clear, so it has to be as thin as possible.

 

[LFC2020]

It still won’t help Samsung with their camera lag. 😂😂😂

 

[lederermc]

Why can't they just put a rim around the lens and screen so they don't touch a flat surface when laid on a flat surface. Thus greatly reducing the opportunity for getting scratched.

 

[theorist9]

Another lazy arricle by MacRumors where they just post what's given to them without doing any work on their own. After making a statement like this:

"Corning says that with Gorilla Glass DX+, camera lenses can capture 98 percent of light, an improvement over a camera lens that doesn't use the technology."

The obvious question is: "OK, what is the figure for other technologies??" How much of a percentage point improvement is it? Give us some damn context! MR didn't bother to find that out.

 

[apparatchik]

The video looked like it was done on Windows Movie Maker running on Vista Service Pack 2 balls.

I’ll try to translate it though, the point here is how much light does sapphire reflects, they’re claiming 1-2% reflection on a near sapphire level of scratch resistance.

 

[GermanSuplex]

I have noticed a huge improvement in the durability of the iPhone 12 Pro. I’ve gone careless most of the time I’ve had it, and I really struggle to see even the most minor of fine, hairline scratches. Even the steel band in the outside is more durable than the past chrome frames. Really impressed with it. I’m not sure if it’s due to Corning or other methods, but I’m all for improvements.

 

[ddtmm]

The obvious question is: "OK, what is the figure for other technologies??" How much of a percentage point improvement is it? Give us some damn context! MR didn't bother to find that out.

You have a computer, look it up yourself.

 

[JMO1]

$200M + $250M + $45M = $495M ! ... that's a serious R&D "Grant" over the past four years !

Some sites have confused it with an Investment, but it's NOT, it's simply an R&D Grant, same thing Apple does for its Apple Arcade Game Dev companies.

Do you know any more terms of this. How does Apple get a return on this? Are there any strings attached on the tail end of R&D?

 

[travelsheep]

Gorilla not Alligator glass huh... plant eaters stronger than meat eaters

 

[Dimka]

Is there sun glasses made of this stuff?

 

[Abstract]

Why can't they just make screens/lens covers made out of sapphire and be done with it instead of coming out with a "new and improved" version of glass each year?

Because while sapphire is far more scratch resistant than other types of “glass” screens, sapphire is actually easier to shatter upon dropped than some mineral glass, which may be less scratch resistant but withstand shattering better.

Also, it costs far more for Apple.


Anyway, this problem only exists because the camera isn’t flush with the camera. It means you NEED a phone case in order to place your phone flat on a table. Crazy.

 

[scaramoosh]

Probably more scratch resistant than the fake Sapphire Apple uses lol.

 

[Poisednoise]

The "new and improved" glass is still pretty bad.

Presumably there's a reason they don't use sapphire and I doubt it's cost. Apple customers would gladly pay more for durability.

Sapphire glass is really expensive, as well as having other issues outlined above. Sufficiently expensive that it would likely more than double the cost of the phone. Even Apple customers have a limit to how much they’ll pay.

 

[cable]

Why can't they just put a rim around the lens and screen so they don't touch a flat surface when laid on a flat surface. Thus greatly reducing the opportunity for getting scratched.

At first, I said "great idea". Then I thought of all the debris and crap that would then be caught and built up around the lens. Not to mention that the rim might block the camera on the fringes.