We’ve all been there; those times when you quickly whip your phone out of the pocket to snap a picture and, in the eagerness to capture the moment… WHAM! That bone crunching sound of screen hitting floor.
This year Corning is hoping to save us another trip to the phone doctor with Gorilla Glass 5, which has been specifically designed to withstand drops from waist to shoulder height onto rough and uneven surfaces.
The manufacturer, who’s glass display coating is used in more devices than we care to remember, says Gorilla Glass 5 has survived 80 per cent of encounters when the device was dropped form 1.6 meters (5ft 2-inches), which on average is around shoulder height.
So, if you’re taking a selfie and the phone slips from your grip as you’re reaching for the shutter button, there’s a 4 in 5 chance Gorilla Glass 5 will live to fight another day.
As The Verge reports, Corning did achieve those impressive test results using a 0.6-inch panel when some of its manufacturing partners may opt for a thinner model.
Related: What can the ‘shatterproof’ Moto X Force survive?
There’s also more to surviving drops than the strength of the display panel.
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“Much of this is dependent on what’s known as the “proudness” of the glass, which refers to how high above the phone the glass sits. “If it sits up really high, we call that a proud design. If it’s protected by the bezel of the design then, it’s – not proud. So if you have a device that has a proud design, that one wouldn’t perform as well as one that had a different design.”
So despite Corning producing its strongest panels yet, it is still relying on its partners to give it as much support as possible along the way.
Watch: Motorola Shattershield drop test
Gorilla Glass 5 will be shipping in smartphones before the year is out.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.