Gorilla Eye Glass 3. Hard to break and hard to scratch: What is Gorilla Glass? Understanding technology

Everyone knows what ultra-strong Gorilla Glass from Corning is. And absolutely everyone is convinced that it is simply impossible to develop a more durable and reliable coating for mobile gadgets. Imagine the surprise of visitors and participants of the CES 2013 exhibition in Las Vegas when the manufacturing company presented to consumers its next innovative development - the third generation Gorilla Glass protective glass.

Unique properties of new glass

The new material retains all the previous excellent qualities for which this highly durable tempered glass is so famous. Moreover, the Gorilla Glass 3 protective glass is made using a completely unique technology, the very definition of which inspires respect - “innate resistance to damage.”

This means that the protection on portable electronic devices will now be so high that it can only be compared with hardened steel.

The review of Gorilla Glass 3, which Corning representatives were happy to conduct for everyone, showed how outstanding the already excellent qualities of the protective glass have become. If we look at their description in more detail, we can note that the material began to show even greater resistance to bending, its resistance to impacts increased by 50%, and its resistance to scratches increased by 40%.

As for the strength of the protective glass, which was almost flawless before, in the third generation Gorilla Glass it has increased 3 (!) times.

Tests

Representatives of the company present at CES 2013 invited everyone to verify the veracity of these statements. The experiments were carried out in several stages. The glass was first put to the test with a powerful mini-press that pressed the unique material with a force of 100 pounds per inch. Then heavy steel balls weighing 135 grams were rolled onto the prototype Gorilla Glass 3 glass.

And in none of the tests did the slightest change appear on the surface of the glass. A miracle, and that’s all!

Application

All this is certainly interesting and incredibly intriguing, but ordinary users are more interested in the practical side of the matter. Namely, where will this innovative development be applied?

At the moment, information about this has not yet been officially confirmed by any company. Although there are suggestions that Gorilla Glass 3 will be featured on Apple's flagship iPhone 5s, which is expected to hit the market this spring. In addition, Apple’s worst competitor, the South Korean company Samsung, will not stand aside, which may well protect its Galaxy S4 with this “piece of glass.”

In general, there is no doubt that all the leading manufacturers, from all countries of the world, will try to get the “third Gorilla” for their top smartphones and tablets as quickly as possible. So by the end of 2013, you will be able to see this ultra-durable new product on many flagships from many branded brands.

In short, what is Gorilla Glass? It is chemically tempered glass produced by Corning. It is three times stronger than glass that has been subjected to soda-lime chemical treatment. Particular strength is achieved mainly due to the replacement of sodium ions with potassium ions. In other words, Gorilla Glass is considered a glass with increased resistance to impacts and minor damage, which has found wide application in the production of mobile device displays.

If we dive a little into history, we note that Corning has long been setting itself the goal of producing especially durable glass. In particular, the first attempts and first experiments of Corning specialists go back to the middle of the 20th century, when the first timid steps were taken to treat glass with various chemical elements. At that time, within the company this project was called “Project Muscle”, however, after some time it was discontinued.

Interestingly, we owe the resumption of experiments on creating especially durable glass to Steve Jobs. The story goes that in 2006, when Apple was working on its first iPhone, the company discovered that the prototype smartphone's display was very vulnerable to scratches and minor damage when it came into contact with small metal objects, such as a set of keys in a pocket. It was then that Steve Jobs, who then served as CEO of the Cupertino company, contacted the head of Corning, Wendell Weeks (apparently, they were friends) and suggested that the latter resume the abandoned project to develop durable glass. And the very next year, 2007, the first sample of a modified Gorilla Glass called Chemcor was installed on the iPhone. Since then, Corning has been associated with its proprietary development with the epic name Gorilla Glass.

It should be noted that the first samples of Gorilla Glass, corresponding to those developed specifically for the iPhone, have become much more resistant to metal objects and parts. However, the first glass samples remained practically powerless against yet another enemy for another five long years - simple sand. So, until 2012, the first generation of Gorilla Glass remained virtually unchanged.

Gorilla Glass 2

As part of the annual international event CES 2012, the second generation of Gorilla Glass was announced. In terms of resistance to mechanical damage, practically nothing has changed, but the glass has become more advanced - its thickness has become 20% less than that of the previous generation. In addition, in laboratory testing, the glass could withstand pressure of up to 50 kg without any damage.

According to statistics for 2012, during this year alone, about 600 million mobile devices were equipped with Gorilla Glass protective glasses. It is noteworthy that the reduced glass thickness allowed manufacturers to create thinner smartphones. In addition, with reduced glass thickness, the optical performance of the displays was correspondingly improved. In particular, this concerned increasing the brightness of the screen, as well as improving the sensitivity to touch of the touch matrix. Also in 2012, a joint project between Corning and Samsung was introduced, which was called Lotus Glass. This new generation of material cannot be called a separate generation or replacement for Gorilla Glass, since the latter is a protective coating for smartphone screens, while Lotus Glass is used as a substrate for LCD displays.

Gorilla Glass 3 version

A year later, in 2013, at the international event CES-2013, Corning announced the next, third generation of the “gorilla”. As the manufacturer himself positioned it, glass received an “innate” ability to resist various damages. In other words, the third generation has become even stronger than the previous generation, namely three times. This version of glass has been very popular for several years, as it is more affordable in production. For example, the latest new products from Nokia (Nokia X6 and 7 Plus) received Gorilla Glass 3.

Gorilla Glass 4

In 2014, Corning introduced the fourth generation of Gorilla Glass 4, which became even thinner - its stated thickness was only 0.4 mm. In addition, the fourth generation of “gorilla” glass is almost twice as strong as competing aluminosilicate glasses when dropped, remaining without any damage in almost 80% of cases. After all, it’s no secret that the lion’s share of damage to smartphone screens comes from falls. It was this fact that became the main motivation for Corning specialists to create glass that is as resistant to falls as possible.

Gorilla Glass 5 (the most durable glass available today)

And finally, after two years of silence, in July 2016 Corning introduced the next generation of its glass - Gorilla Glass 5. To date, this is the most advanced generation of Corning glass. As you know, the main goal in the development of this generation is to achieve even greater resistance to impacts when dropped. If we compare the fifth generation with its predecessor, Gorilla Glass 5 has become four times more resistant to falls.

According to the manufacturer, Gorilla Glass 5 can remain intact when dropped from a height of up to 1.6 meters. Nevertheless, in order not to be dogmatic, one should take into account the angle of incidence, the surface, as well as the presence of various factors, especially since almost everything can be broken if desired. This version of tempered glass is used, for example, in the flagship smartphone Nokia 8 Sirocco.

The main task Gorilla Glass- protect the screen from scratches and cracks under strong dynamic and static loads. At the same time, the coating is required to have minimal impact on the weight and thickness of the phone, picture quality, and the sensitivity of the sensor matrix.

Story

In 1959, Corning experimented with treating glass surfaces with various chemical compounds in a project called Project Muscle. Over the next few years, Chemcor's heavy-duty glass was developed. The development was subsequently used for various commercial and industrial purposes, in particular in the automotive and aircraft industries, but never received widespread distribution.

In 2006, while developing the first iPhone, Apple discovered that keys kept in a pocket with the prototype easily scratched the surface of the plastic display. To fix this problem, Apple's Steve Jobs contacted Corning CEO Wendell Weeks and insisted on reviving the project. As a result, a special aluminosilicate glass debuted as part of the original iPhone.

On January 9, 2012, Corning introduced the next generation of its product - Gorilla Glass 2. For the first time, glass with improved characteristics was demonstrated to the general public on January 10, 2012 at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Gorilla Glass 2 retained the characteristics of its predecessor while being 20% thinner.

On January 9, 2013, at CES 2013, Corning introduced an updated protective coating, Gorilla Glass 3, with technology called “inherent damage resistance.” According to company representatives, the new glass is three times stronger than Gorilla Glass 2.

On November 20, 2014, the new Gorilla Glass 4 was introduced. Compared to competing aluminosilicate glasses, this glass is twice as resistant to damage from falls and remains undamaged in 80% of cases. The thickness of Gorilla Glass 4 is 0.4 mm.

On July 20, 2016, Corning announced its new development - Gorilla Glass 5, which has improved characteristics compared to previous generations of glass. The fifth generation of glass does not crack after being dropped in 80% of cases - test devices fell from a normal height of 1.6 meters onto a rough surface. True, you need to take into account the surface on which the smartphone falls, the angle of inclination, and the presence of irregularities. So everything is relative. In general, the new glass is 1.8 times stronger than Gorilla Glass 4 and supposedly 4 times stronger than competitors, if we are talking about drop tests.

Nowadays, smartphones value not only performance, but also quality. The main thing in smartphones is resistance to falls, scratches, and water. Therefore, safety glass is gaining popularity. Gorilla Glass can definitely be called the most famous protective glass. It is used in the manufacture of telephones. Protective glass is also used in tablets.

According to statistics, every person drops their device about 10 times a year. So many falls can break your tablet/phone to pieces. Gorilla Glass really helps with the fear of breaking your phone.

For example, Nokia Lumia smartphones have Gorilla coating. The smartphone falls at a distance of 1.5 meters onto the asphalt, but remains completely undamaged. This is far from the only example proving the effectiveness of such protection. A large number of experiments were carried out to test the effect of glass. It successfully passed all tests. Many users specifically look for smartphones with this coating.

The first mobile phone with such protective glass is Nokia N8 (2008). The use of screen protection became especially important after the advent of touch phones. This explains that touch screen highly susceptible to mechanical damage. This glass is made from aluminum silicates.

There are currently six generations of Gorilla Glass:

Gorilla Glass 1(2008).
Gorilla Glass 2(year 2012). The glass is 20% thinner and is difficult but possible to scratch.
Gorilla Glass 3(year 2013). It is 40% more resistant to mechanical damage, 50% more resistant to impacts.
Gorilla Glass 4(2015).
Gorilla Glass 5 falls from a distance of up to 1.6 m without damage.
Gorilla Glass 6 has indicators twice as good as those of the fifth generation. At the moment, glass of this generation is the best, most reliable and strongest. But manufacturers don't stop! They continue to look for new combinations and conduct experiments to create even more perfect glass.

Many manufacturers of both expensive and budget brands use Gorilla Glass protective glass, which has proven itself to be excellent.

List of budget smartphones with Gorilla Glass protection:

1. Ulefone Amor

A budget phone for people who love extreme sports. The smartphone can withstand being dropped from a height or immersed in water. The body has metal inserts, which attracts many people.

Main characteristics:

Screen: 4.7 inches.
OS: Android 6.0.
RAM: 3 GB.
Main camera: 13 MP.
Selfie camera: 5 MP.
Battery: 3000 mAh.

2. DOOGEE Mix Lite

Budget frameless phone with Gorilla Glass coating. It stands out for its low price and beautiful frameless design. The screen is quite large, but comfortable to hold in the user's hand.

Main characteristics:

Screen 5.2 inches.
OS: Android 6.0.
RAM: 2 GB.
Main camera: 13 MP.
Selfie camera: 8 MP.
Battery: 3080 mAh.

Very beautiful phone which looks expensive. The black metal body adds strength to the design. A real courageous smartphone is suitable for life in a metropolis and for long journeys! Screen coating Gorilla Glass 3. You can use two SIM cards.

Main characteristics:

Screen 5.0 inches.
OS: Android 6.0.
RAM: 2 GB.
Main camera: 8 MP.
Selfie camera: 2 MP.
Battery: 3050 mAh.

Frameless smartphone with a fingerprint scanner. Has all the necessary qualities modern smartphone.

Main characteristics:

Screen 5.5 inches.
OS: Android 7.0.
RAM: 3 GB.
Main camera: 13 MP.
Selfie camera: 13 MP.
Battery: 3000 mAh.

Chinese frameless smartphone with dual camera. It has excellent quality and an inexpensive price.

Main characteristics:

Screen 5.7 inches.
OS: Android 7.0.
RAM: 2 GB.
Main camera: 8 MP.
Selfie camera: 5 MP.
Battery: 3000 mAh.

6. Xiaomi Redmi 5

A smartphone with an incredibly beautiful design in a modern style. A thin smartphone that meets all user requirements.

Main characteristics:

Screen 5.7 inches.
OS: Android 7.1.2.
RAM: 2/3 GB.
Main camera: 12 MP.
Selfie camera: 5 MP.
Battery: 3300 mAh.

A beautiful thin smartphone, the body combines metal and plastic, which especially captivates buyers. The screen is covered with protective glass Gorilla Glass 3. Supports two SIM cards.

Main characteristics:

Screen 5.5 inches.
OS: Android 6.0.
RAM: 4 GB.
Main camera: 13 MP.
Selfie camera: 8 MP.
Battery: 3000 mAh.

8. Xiaomi Redmi Note 5

One of the new smartphones from the Chinese company. Very stylish and beautiful, has a scanner for an individual hand pattern. Aluminum body with plastic parts. A huge screen opens up great technical possibilities for watching movies, TV series or just videos. Several colors give everyone the opportunity to choose a smartphone to their liking.

Main characteristics:

Screen 5.99 inches.
OS: Android 7.1.2.
Memory: 3/4 GB.
Main camera: 12 MP.
Selfie camera: 5 MP.
Battery: 4000 mAh.

Almost all leading smartphone manufacturers equip their devices with Gorilla Glass.

What are the advantages of this safety glass? What is it like, where did it come from and is it as reliable as the manufacturers claim in advertising?

History of Corning Gorilla Glass

Glass production is carried out by the American company Corning Incorporated. It was founded back in 1851 and is engaged not only in the development of protective glass. The company can be found in a variety of market segments, such as optical communications, life sciences, environmental technology, and even optical physics. But Corning became truly famous thanks to glass for smartphones.

Gorilla Glass is created according to a special “recipe” - they have a special chemical composition, as well as special chemical and physical processing. The idea of such glass first appeared at the beginning of the last century - then the manufacturer created glass called Chemcor. It was used in aviation and motor transport, however, it did not become widespread.

It became popular thanks to Steve Jobs when Apple began developing the first iPhone in 2006. The prototype device was subjected to various tests, for example, it was carried in a pocket with change and keys. The touchscreen quickly became scratched and became unusable. Then Jobs had an idea - to resume the Corning project and produce high-quality protective glass.

The strength of glass on the Moss scale was 6 points. The company achieved this result thanks to hardening by ion exchange. The first generation of Gorilla Glass was about 1mm thick and was three times stronger than regular tempered glass.

Over time, smartphones began to become thinner, and the thickness of the glass had to decrease accordingly, so in 2012 the company introduced Gorilla Glass 2.

The new generation of safety glass was presented at the International Home Appliance Show in Las Vegas. Experts have reduced the thickness of the glass by 20% and increased its impact resistance four times.

Already in 2013, a new development was introduced - Gorilla Glass 3. According to the company, this new product is more reliable than sapphire glass. Thanks to the improved creation method, the new product has become three times stronger than Gorilla Glass 2. Resistance to scratches and impacts has also increased - 40% and 50%, respectively.

In 2014, a new generation of glass was introduced to the world. It received the same characteristics as Gorilla Glass 3, but became much thinner - only 0.4 mm. Thanks to this, new devices can be made much thinner, while they will be protected in the same way as the previous ones.

In 2016, the company introduced . The new glass has improved characteristics and remains undamaged in more than 80% of cases when the screen is dropped from a height of 1.6 meters.

In 2018, the sixth generation of safety glass was announced. All details are in.

Safety glass manufacturing technology

As already mentioned, glass is amenable to special chemical treatment - it is placed in a solution with molten potassium salts and a temperature of about 400-500 degrees Celsius. During this procedure, the sodium ions present in the glass are replaced by larger potassium ions.

Next, the glass is cooled, and it becomes stronger due to the increased potassium ions, which press on each other more strongly than sodium ions. Factories producing Gorilla Glass are currently located in three countries: the USA, Japan and Taiwan.

Gorilla Glass only for smartphones?

The strength of glass has earned special attention not only from smartphone manufacturers. Its application is quite wide, and we will talk about the most interesting applications of this technology.

In 2003, one of Ford's non-production vehicles was equipped with a windshield from Corning. Its thickness was 3-4 mm, while the thickness of ordinary car glass is 4-6 mm. Thanks to the use of such glass, the manufacturer was able to reduce the weight of the car itself by 5.5 kg.

In addition, Gorilla Glass NBT was announced in 2003. This rugged new product is designed for laptops with touch displays.

Analogues of Gorilla Glass

According to statistics, in mid-2016, Gorilla Glass was installed on more than 4.5 billion devices worldwide. Of course, such popularity also caused competition. One of the analogues is sapphire glass - it is indeed extremely difficult to scratch (in fact, this can only be done with a diamond), but it is more fragile, and its cost is too high.

Dragontrail from the Japanese manufacturer Asahi is one of the direct competitors for Gorilla Glass, but its manufacturers use it mainly in budget devices. Dragontrail equipped with some Meizu smartphones, Lenovo and Xiaomi.

Xensation Cover is also a serious competitor to Corning, not only in quality but also in price. This glass is produced by the German company Schott. Meizu used Xensation Cover glass in its M3 series smartphones.

And finally, Gorilla Glass has its drawbacks, for example, the glass gets scratched quite quickly and easily, so it needs protection from time to time. In more detail, the pros and cons of protective glass