Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

MacRumors

macrumors bot
Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
63,283
30,344



logo.jpg


Corning officially announced their followup to Gorilla Glass today at CES 2012.

Apple has previously used the strengthened glass in their iOS devices. In 2010, David Pogue relayed a claim from a scientist that Apple was the #1 customer for Gorilla Glass and buys "practically all the Gorilla Glass that Corning can make." At least parts of the story were confirmed in Steve Jobs' biography. Corning reportedly shelved the idea for Gorilla Glass back in the 1960s but revived the project at the request of Steve Jobs in 2007. The original iPhone launched with the damage-resistant glass, though there has been some debate about whether it still is being used in their most recent models. Corning, of course, has never acknowledged Apple's usage but says that due to "customer agreements", they can't identify all devices that use their Gorilla Glass.

The new version of Gorilla Glass can be up to 20% thinner than the original and still retain the same strength. Alternatively, manufacturers could continue to use the same thickness, and benefit from greater strength. Manufacturers have already received samples of the new Gorilla Glass so it should start appearing in consumer products in 2012.

Here's a hands on demo at CES of the strength of the new Gorilla Glass:

The additional thinness offered by Gorilla Glass 2 is also said to result in brighter images and better touch responsiveness.

Article Link: CES 2012: Gorilla Glass 2 to Allow for Thinner Stronger Phones
 

demodave

macrumors 6502
Jan 27, 2010
295
129
Dallas, TX

I think this is tremendously cool for Corning (both the company and the town in Upstate New York) and for public awareness of glass and materials properties in general. (OK, I admit it, I'm a bit of an engineering geek.)

I already knew the "we found this in our archives" story with respect to Gorilla Glass. It would be fascinating (to me, at least) to know how the story proceeded from there. I can only imagine, "Hey, Bob, remember that tough old glass we made back then? There might be an application for that ..." and then, once it becomes clear that the market wants it, "Hey, you know, we did shelf this back then, but maybe we could make it even better!"

And, sadly, much of this can't happen if there aren't age-old scientists somewhere in the company who can still *remember* that wild-ass experimental result from "back in the day".
 

ZipZap

macrumors 603
Dec 14, 2007
6,075
1,445
Would be nice to see this glass used in iPhones. If Apple is a big consumer as the article suggests, where is it all going?
 

Zuttasoxx

macrumors newbie
Jan 10, 2012
1
0
You do know this glass is in iPhones but does not prevent it getting shattered. Glass still is glass

Look at this movie http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-GOwtikSO0

The reason why it shatters is because the corners of the glass is not covered. If the corners receive a blow no matter how strong the glass is. It will shatter.

You can see how strong the glass is of iPhone 4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OoT6VIxP-Y4

This is why a bumber on iPhone 4(s) (that covers the corners of a glass) will prevent it from damaging the glass that easily. Even tough the front and back is wide open
 

Seppentoni

macrumors member
Jul 14, 2011
95
95
Europe
Yeah yeah. This is all very nice.

But glass is most vulnerable on pressure upright on the edges of the glass not on the flat surface.

So you can do as much promo glass vids as you want. Try to put the glass upright in to your pressure machine mister Marketing man. And we talk again.
 

loosegee

macrumors newbie
Oct 7, 2011
14
0
Yeah yeah. This is all very nice.

But glass is most vulnerable on pressure upright on the edges of the glass not on the flat surface.

So you can do as much promo glass vids as you want. Try to put the glass upright in to your pressure machine mister Marketing man. And we talk again.

And of course the glass your company makes is so much better. Oh wait, that's right. You don't have a glass making company and have no idea how to go about making strong glass.
 

rickdollar

macrumors 6502
Mar 12, 2007
472
24
Although it's impressive, I don't think slowly applying pressure to the glass is the most common real world scenario people are concerned about.
Show an impact test.
 

elolaugesen

macrumors regular
Aug 1, 2008
107
3
gorrilla Glass 2

If the same thickness creates brighter images then why not reduce power consumption by reducing light and have same great image but longer battery life and less heat..
 
Last edited:

CFreymarc

Suspended
Sep 4, 2009
3,969
1,149
I already knew the "we found this in our archives" story with respect to Gorilla Glass. It would be fascinating (to me, at least) to know how the story proceeded from there. I can only imagine, "Hey, Bob, remember that tough old glass we made back then? There might be an application for that ..." and then, once it becomes clear that the market wants it, "Hey, you know, we did shelf this back then, but maybe we could make it even better!"

And, sadly, much of this can't happen if there aren't age-old scientists somewhere in the company who can still *remember* that wild-ass experimental result from "back in the day".

All comes down to how much an old technology can come back to be useful decades later. Keep in mind, old salt techies don't get a summary execution after they are retired or let for "more affordable" younger or outsourced engineers. A lot of these seniors, if they played their cards right, are sitting on a pile of cash and consult all over their industry.

As far as the Gorilla Glass story, the guy that let Steve know about it was a Materials Engineer that has been working in the Valley for decades from consumer to aerospace to semiconductor. These are the guys that walk in, the rank and file engineers wig when they are in the office, they have long talks with the manager in the corner office, shift product development direction since rank and file engineers have a bit to much attention on office politics and TPS reports, pick up a few gems of knowledge from their office lab, collect a huge check and schedule their week so they have golf / motorcycle riding / flying / rock climbing / etc. time mid week.

Their life is good. Try being one if you can. Less stress and more money. Just need to have good social and tech skills.
 

advernturousmal

macrumors newbie
Jan 10, 2012
1
0
Yeah yeah. This is all very nice.

But glass is most vulnerable on pressure upright on the edges of the glass not on the flat surface.

So you can do as much promo glass vids as you want. Try to put the glass upright in to your pressure machine mister Marketing man. And we talk again.

Twice the strength is twice the strength, no matter whether it's bending or buckling...
 

crs.one

macrumors member
Jan 8, 2012
71
0
So some guy makes a random post claiming that the iPhone doesn't use gorilla glass, and this constitutes a "debate?"
 

Tarzanman

macrumors 65816
Jul 16, 2010
1,304
15
Its not just one guy. Everyone who uses gorilla glass in their handsets (like Samsung) makes a point of saying so.

Apple has never claimed to use gorilla glass in the iphone line. Most people have come to the conclusion that apple is not using gorilla glass for iphones because of widespread problems with shattering/cracks/etc with iphones.

People who insist that the iphone does use gorilla glass (such as yourself?) are doing so on supposition.

For all any of us know, Apple is using the gorilla glass in their Macbook Airs or iPads or something.

Only a few people know for sure...and they ain't talking.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.