When it comes to chemically-hardened glass, we smartphone types are definitely fans. When it comes to making our glass-fronted smartphones more durable, Corning has always been at the forefront, and their latest revelation in the form of Gorilla Glass 3 will prove to be even more of a protective force between our LCDs and the harsh world we live in.
We dropped in on Corning to check out its new Gorilla Glass 3, and in its demonstrations it lived up to the pre-show announcement hype. Gorilla Glass 3 is tougher in all forms when compared to its competition and even its predecessor in the form of Gorilla Glass 2. It can withstand greater impact force, is harder to scratch, and can stand up to forces that are capable of denting equally-thick steel. It's tough stuff, folks.
Reader comments
Corning Gorilla Glass 3 - a CES first look
very cool stuff indeed
I came here to say there is a scratch on the gorilla glass in the video!! Watch the Gorilla glass 3 sample right around 1:12 when the camera is moving away from the sample after the man says "clearly the gorilla glass 3 doesn't have a scratch on it". It's only for a split second. Make sure you have the video in HD and full screen also.
Edit: its right as hes saying the "H" in "however when we go to the next level".... on the 4 Newton test.
I also caught that. However, he say's there isn't a scratch (G3, Newton 7). Then when the lady does her test she implicates that the G3 newton7 "has been scratched". They are contradicting one another in this demonstration. Not that any of this matters, but it would be wise for them to clear up this confusion.
Can we see it less all the blur
It's amazing! Corning is continuing to move things forward. Maybe transparent aluminum isn't that far away. :) But, until then, use a screen protector.
ppl don't get to excited, the same hype was when they were introducing Gorilla Glass 2 LOL
And the first thing we'll all do is fit a screen protector...
Omg of I have to watch this video again using that crappy video camera. I was getting dizzy because the video camera must have been made from Mattel. Focus job sucks big time.
Who the H was videoing this thing? I had to stop halfway through and beat my head against the wall. TERRIBLE focusing job. Shut autofocus off for crying out loud when it gets that bad. Good Lord.
When they can show me a phone being dropped so that it lands on one of the front corners in an asphalt or concrete parking lot from waist to shoulder height and not have the screen crack or shatter I will be impressed. Until then I treat my phones like the display is made of clear plastic.
Did she say "scratch box"? :)
Gorilla Glass 3 looks great can't wait to see which phones it will be on. Also I saw a video on the same thing from imore.com and the video with this one were hard to watch with the weird auto focus. What are you all using to make bad videos.
After reviewing the footage, this should have never been posted. The loss of focus is unacceptably bad. The demo was cool, and the information useful, but the poor camera work makes this video an embarrassment.
Agreed. They're at the CONSUMER ELECTRONICS SHOW and they can't find a decent camera?? Maybe instead of flexible displays, smart ovens, and scratch resistant glass they can get everyone to focus on a decent autofocusing camera.
I'm happy they continue to improve in this area. I don't use cases or screen protectors and in the 5+ years of owning smartphones I have yet to drop one but scratches are of concern to me personally and this new glass seems more resistant which is great!
The man in the beginning say there is no damage from a 7 newton scratch but the ball test them mention they are testing the gorilla glass 3 with a 7 newton scratch...hmm...
+1 I was reading the comments to make sure I didn't rehash something already here. This was what I was thinking during all the drop tests. I call BS!
Exactly, they guy at the beginning said it wrong.
If you watch closely in the video you can actually see the first level scratch on gorilla glass 3 in couple frames if you pause it.
I was about to post a pic of it to show it but I heard the lady after that saying there is a scratch/damage.
I didn't hear a thing during that entire interview other than Taylor Swift in the background. Thanks, now I'm going to have the GD song stuck in my head all day. FML
you need a better camera maybe canon hf?
What did they do with lotus glass? I thought that was their new baby.
someone get this guy an auto focusing camera please
it was an autofocusing camera....just a terrible one.
gave me a headache.
That's the problem, it WAS autofocusing - on anything and everything in the field of view. This is a perfect case where you want manual focus, so the videographer can determine what's important, focus on it and it stays focused there.
It's really a shame this kind of camera work is so prevalent today, as it makes watching the videos nauseating.
What was this recorded with? It hurt my eyes! Could not focus worth a damn.
Holy auto-focus batman!
I'm not impressed with their demonstration methods. Show us something useful. They don't tell you how thin that aluminum was, just that it was as thick as the glass. I'm assuming that was a steel ball they were dropping (maybe it's aluminum), have you felt how flimsy thin aluminum is? Of course it's going to dent it.
Do some comparable tests, state: This is the glass used on *Blank* Phone, here is what happens, now this is the glass used on *Blank* Phone, here is what happens, now see what happens to Gorilla glass 3.
Show me how it does at different forces, not just 7 Newtons (really, that's a tiny amount of force, did they use Newton because most Americans don't know how that equates to pounds?) to everyday items, I'm not going to be scratching diamonds on it too often. Maybe with something that has a small surface area so it puts a lot of pressure on the glass, like sand would. Does it stand up to a normal day at the beach, or does it get all scratched up?
I'm not saying this Gorilla Glass 3 isn't the sh*t, but give us some kind of reasonable comparison, not something created in a 10th grade physics lab.
uofmike said: I'm not impressed with their demonstration methods. Show us something useful.
I don't know what you're talking about, this is exactly the type of damage I'm interested in seeing. It seems like every other I find the screen of my phone being impacted by steel balls rolling down lexan tubes at precise angles. People just don't seem to be able to keep their retainer pins in their lexan tubes these days. It's irresponsible is what it is.
I tell 'ya, if I had a dime for every time someone let their steel ball roll down a lexan tube into the screen of my phone... well, I'd be a rich man!
;)
They are clearly targeting the underserved niche market of steel ball manufacturing plant workers. Those people will go nuts over this kind of impact resistance proof.
I can't wait for next year when they show many Skittles Randy Johnson can throw at Gorilla Glass 4 without cracking it
Can it be scratched by dirt that gets on your finger like my RAZR MAXX was? Perfect screen ruined by swiping to answer one call while working in the yard. It's great that their glass can't be scratched by keys and what not, but how can you guarantee a single speck of dirt can't get on the glass and scratch it unless you use a sacrificial plastic screen protector to absorb all the scratches?
I guess I need to go about measuring my typical swiping finger force in Newtons to see if their scientific test indicates if my real-world scenario would have improved with the new glass. I doubt there are diamonds in my my local red mud, though. LOL!
When it can't be scratched by dirt or when the scratches can be easily removed somehow from the glass, then that will be awesome.
Side note: That video made me motion sick from all the wavy motions. Was there an open oven between the camera and the man talking, or something? It looked like heat waves in the air.
That sucks! I have had two Gorilla Glass phones in the past 3 years and I am happy to say I have only ever put one small scratch on the glass and it wasn't even over the screen portion. It can still be scratched but it is amazing how far we have come in this area. I hate screen protectors.
Yeah Gorilla Glass 1 was great to me! 2 not so much as not one or two but three phones cracked from the side. And my Samsung did get a scratch in my pocket. But IT's still tough I suppose
This^^^
They show all these cool demo's but at the end of the day, they are all meaningless and unrealistic. Once any form of sand/silica gets on the screen that's it, it will scratch as easily as a hot knife through butter. I want to be able to drop my phone is sand and wipe the screen off without the screen getting scratched, if they can somehow accomplish that then I will be impressed. To add though, some will say get a screen protector but I am one of those that simply can't stand the feel or look of screen protectors.
I am sure they will get there one day. The fact that we have come this far with scratch resistant glass in amazing in itself.
Glass=Sand. Of course the sand will scratch Gorilla Glass.
And that is why I ALWAYS put an Invisible Shield on my phones, I have yet to has the screen get scratched and the shield still looks as good as when I installed it, if I spend $300 on the "latest and greatest" another $15 is well worth it to make sure my screen doesn't end up looking like crap
There are likely quartz granules (Mohs scale hardness = 7) in your area. No Gorilla Glass can stand up to anything that hard. What it can do is hide scratches so that they aren't noticeable... at least up to a point. But IMO every phone needs a good case. My Galaxy Note 2 has Gorilla Glass 2. But GG smashes about as easily as any other glass. (I've watched plenty of S3 drop tests.) So I go the whole route with an Otterbox Defender. Otterbox Commuter is also good, And Ballistic also makes some good cases.
Protect your phones, people!
So basically my gorilla glass 2 Note 2 is shit now
Haha, Gorilla Glass is the Apple of glass manufactures. I feel like I'll never have the best!
Lol
Absolutely. Just useless to you. Please allow me to take it off of your hands, so you can avoid public humiliation. :)
Still ok but not as good as Gorilla Glass 3. It's crappy when comparing to the latest but still better than all the other brands out there. See, there is still a bright side to this!
lol
pretty impressive stuff
Yes, they said it was aluminum, not steel.
Makes me think of startrek when Scotty needed transparent aluminum. Who needs transparent aluminum when you have gorilla glass.
i was thinking the same thing. I wonder if this can hold a whale
I think I should have paid more attention in science class growing up. Newtons & Atomic Structure ? Say what ?
Imagine putting a block that weighs* 1 kg (approximately 2.2 lbs) on top of a needle that is standing straight up on a surface (table) on its tip. Let's assume that the needle is nearly weightless. The table would then experience a force of 9.8 Newtons of downward force from the needle. If the block on top of the needle weighed* .102 kg (.224 lbs) then the table would experience a downward force of 1 Newton.
*My use of the words "weighs" and "weighed" is flawed. I used those words so folks could better understand. It is more accurate to say the block has a "mass" of 1kg.
Steel would be impressive but I believe they said it was aluminum in the video (even so it's still impressive)
Reminds me of "Transparent aluminum" - Star Trek 4 the voyage home
double