As smartphones get bigger and bigger screens, Corning pushes the limits of the resistance of their glass with Gorilla Glass Victus 2, the first capable of withstanding a one-meter drop onto concrete!
Smartphones are getting bigger and bigger – and more and more expensive – over the years. However, the longer the diagonal of the screen, the more the glass is subjected to potential shocks. This is why manufacturers are constantly striving to improve its solidity as the devices become more complex. Nowadays, the smooth ground – especially if it is carpeted – no longer poses a great risk to the smartphone. For rough surfaces on the outside, however, it’s a whole different story! It is on this point that the Corning company has decided to concentrate its efforts on developing its new generation of Gorilla Glass – tempered and chemically reinforced protective glass – : the Gorilla Glass Victus 2.
Gorilla Glass Victus 2: concrete at the heart of the challenge
The Gorilla Glass Victus 2 takes on the scratch resistance of its predecessor, while emphasizing resistance to drops on hard surfaces, such as concrete sidewalks or asphalt roads. “What we’ve learned over time is that around 75% of phone drops happen on rough surfaces, whether it’s asphalt, granite or concrete”explains the vice president of the Gorilla Glass division, Scott Forester, to The Verge. It is moreover on the concrete that the engineers concentrated, since “over 30% of phone drops happened on concrete, more than on any other surface.” This mixture of cement, sand and pebbles is really one of the biggest weak points of smartphones. A protruding piece can easily concentrate all the force of the impact in one place, unlike smooth surfaces which distribute it.
One of the parameters to which Gorilla Glass must adapt, in addition to the increasing size of smartphones, is their weight. Indeed, the average smartphone today is 10% larger and 15% heavier than a smartphone four years ago, according to Corning. – a Samsung Galaxy S22+ weighs around 200 grams, and the Z Fold 4 more than 260! And more weight means more force on impact… But that didn’t deter the engineers! For the first time ever, Corning says the phone should be able to survive a three-foot drop – is approximately the waist height, where you usually hold your device – on concrete. However, the engineers have not made any concessions on the performance already “acquired” by the 2020 Gorilla Glass Victus. Thus, like its predecessor, Corning’s new protective glass is capable of withstanding a fall of two meters – be there height at which the device is located to take a selfie – on a smoother asphalt surface, and more than 20 falls from one meter in a row. But in addition to having to survive an impact without breaking, the glass of the smartphone must also resist scratches. A key that scratches the screen of the smartphone in the handbag or a misplaced pebble can prove fatal. Corning has therefore endeavored not to guarantee resistance to falls at the expense of the risk of scratching, as evidenced by the video demonstration.
If he does not cite any names, Corning has already announced that the Gorilla Glass Victus 2 will arrive at “some very large OEMs in the next few months, mostly on their flagship phones”. One can naturally think of the Samsung Galaxy S23, which is to be announced in February 2023, since the Korean manufacturer was the first customer for the Gorilla Glass Victus in 2020 – but he hasn’t confirmed anything yet. We can also think of the next iPhone, given that Apple has invested heavily in the company Corning – even though he had preferred an exclusive glass, the Ceramic Shield, for its latest devices.