Corning Unveils Gorilla Glass 5, Can Survive Drops 'Up To 80% Of The Time' (theverge.com) 111
An anonymous reader writes from a report via The Verge: Corning has unveiled their new Gorilla Glass 5, which should make its way to high-end smartphones and other electronic devices later this year and into 2017. Gorilla Glass 5 is designed to improve drop performance from devices that are dropped onto rough surfaces from waist heigh to shoulder height. Corning says it can survive up to 80 percent of the time when dropped from 1.6 meters. For comparison, Gorilla Glass 4, which was released in the fall of 2014, was marketed as being twice as tough as the previous version and twice as likely to survive drops onto uneven surfaces from about a meter high. Some things to note include the fact that in Corning's tests, the 80 percent survival rate was with pieces of glass that were 0.6mm thick -- Corning now makes glass as thin as 0.4mm. Depending on how thin manufacturers want the glass in their devices, the durability results may vary. Also, most of demos consisted of dropping the glass face down, rather than on its side or corner. Corning's vice president and general manger John Bayne said if the glass is dropped in such a way, it's going to depend on the overall design of the phone, not just the glass. Gorilla Glass 5 is currently in production, though the company says we'll hear more about it "in the next few months." There's no word as to whether or not the glass will be ready in time for the wave of devices expected this fall.
sigh (Score:5, Insightful)
The "For comparison" does not allow you to make a comparison...
Also what does "up to 80%" mean?
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Re:sigh (Score:5, Funny)
it just means that if it breaks on your 1st drop, you can drop it 4 more times without fear.
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Also what does "up to 80%" mean?
it means "some value less than, but definitely not greater than, 80%"
Re:sigh (Score:5, Funny)
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Also what does "up to 80%" mean?
Altogether it mean that "sometimes it will survive the fall!"
Re:sigh (Score:5, Insightful)
Basically it means "on one out of 5 drops, it's guaranteed to break. For the other 4, you may have hope."
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Basically it means "on one out of 5 drops, it's guaranteed to break. For the other 4, you may have hope."
Do you know what 80% mean? It doesn't mean "1 out of 5 drop is a 100% break chance, and the other 4 out of 5 are 50% break chance".
Of course, that figure are for 0.6mm and I'm guessing manufacturer will prefer the 0.4mm which, oddly, doesn't have it's how survivability statistic.
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what does "up to 80%" mean?
It means it's 80% if you drop it into a royal goose feather pillow. 0% otherwise.
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The alternate hypothesis was (rho) < 0.80
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I expect it means the glass had broke 1 time out of every 5 attempts.
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I have less optimistic expectations.
Corning could test samples in batches of 5 sheets. One test, 4 of the samples did not break, 1 did. 80% survival rate as you said you'd expect. Other batches of 5 sheets, all samples broke at a rate less than 80%. As long as all 5 tests don't survive, Corning gets to say that it survives "up to 80%" since it never survived 5 of 5. Weasel words like "up to" are wonderful for marketing.
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It means that the glass survives during the first 80% of the fall. Which mean it is able to stand 0g for at least 0.5s.
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The "For comparison" does not allow you to make a comparison...
twice as tough as the previous version and twice as likely to survive drops onto uneven surfaces from about a meter high.
Twice as tough compared to the previous version.
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Generally it means exactly the opposite of what the one saying it wants to convey. Essentially it means "on 20% of the drops, it certainly breaks". That's not really what I want to hear when you're supposed to tell me how rugged your device allegedly is.
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I must be lucky, I guess - never having cracked a phone's screen.
My current phone has cheap plastic and is an astonishing 2.0mm thicker than an iPhone 6s. So maybe smaller and lighter means more breakage?
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Yes, that's why you have to buy a (relatively) substantial protective case if you want your super-thin smartphone to survive the contract period.
Of course, it's not such a super-slim-and-stylish fashion accessory anymore.
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I'm not going to disagree. All I know is that my Nokia N900, having survived more than a few drops, is still going strong after 7 years. Yes, there is that spot on the screen where I mistook for an ash tray on night, but it is fully functionally.
Comparability (Score:5, Insightful)
Corning says it can survive up to 80 percent of the time when dropped from 1.6 meters. For comparison, Gorilla Glass 4, which was released in the fall of 2014, was marketed as being twice as tough as the previous version and twice as likely to survive drops onto uneven surfaces from about a meter high.
How is that "for comparison"? There is absolutely nothing there that can be compared.
Alternatively.. (Score:2, Insightful)
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*At Least* 20% of the time, sometimes more.
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This glass will break 20%+ of the time. Fixed it.
You fixed the broken glass, thus bringing the survival rate to 100%?
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Pyrex is no longer manufactured by Corning, they sold that years ago to concentrate on inventing things like Gorilla Glass. They sold many of their properties not because they weren't profitable but because it wasn't innovative. The buyers subsequently went with lower manufacturing standards and substituted cost making Pyrex style glass a lot cheaper but also less resistant to heat and impact.
OK.. so (Score:2)
Gorilla Glass 5 is designed to improve drop performance from devices that are dropped onto rough surfaces from waist heigh to shoulder height.
So it prevents breakage if you're standing on your head then?
Re:OK.. so (Score:5, Funny)
I quite often hold mine at knee height, especially for taking photographs.
Of, umm, insects and flowers and stuff. Yes, that's it.
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You meant to say kittens.
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Nice use of code words to admit that you're a retard, aspie.
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If I'm upside-down like the guy I was replying to then yes.
Broken Windows (Score:1, Redundant)
This is crazy! Everyone knows that the iPhone screen replacement industry employs thousands of workers throughout the world. Corning makes more glass because of it. Apple sells more new iPhones. Nowhere in this story do I see anyone defending the rights of the workers who fix broken glass.
If Corning really cared about the lowly worker, they would make glass that broke even easier. This could create thousands of new jobs and return the West to the worker utopia that it once was!
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I can't see my android keyboard very well because of all the scratches on my plastic screen.
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Are other phones like mine? I've got a low-end Samsung and the surface certainly looks nice and glossy but the slightest trace of moisture makes it like a bar of soap.
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Which part of slightest trace don't they teach at Fat Cunt Valley Remedial High?
Over here when it's not hot enough to make you sweat it's pissing it down with rain. On a really good day it does both.
Is that the "best" way to drop test a phone? (Score:3)
If you drop a phone face-first on a flat surface then the bezel will hit first and the force will be spread out across the entire bezel. If you drop a phone corner-first on a flat surface then all the force has to be distributed from that one corner, and I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of it went through the screen.
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If you drop a phone face-first on a flat surface then the bezel will hit first and the force will be spread out across the entire bezel. If you drop a phone corner-first on a flat surface then all the force has to be distributed from that one corner, and I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of it went through the screen.
Well. Good for them their name isn't Cornering Gorilla Glass then now isn't it?
"Super shatter-proof glass 5, only breaks ever second-fourth time!" (Here I wanted to account for less precise falls ..)
When I see "Up to 80%" (Score:2)
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What I read is "As little as 0%"
It's kind of like Sex Panther. 80% of the time, it works every time!
An improvement is an improvement. (Score:2)
All I have to say is good job Corning at improving your product. Now back to the lab, there is more work to do, or better yet find some dude name Scotty and ask him about that transparent aluminum stuff.
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Sure, I'll compare it to plastic which, if you recall, used to be the predominant screen material. Plastic screens shattered almost never, and didn't have the huge glare problems present in modern handhelds.
The downside was slightly less scratch resistance, but a screen protector handles that nicely, and large portions of the population use those on gorilla glass anyway.
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Absolutely incorrect. The plastic remains flexible, so doesn't shatter. But even baring that. Don't be stupid and use appropriate thickness of materials where necessary.
moderately interesting (Score:1)
Thinner glass breaks more easily, and probably new versions of things are still overall slightly better than previous versions.
Just add Armor (Score:4, Insightful)
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I've wondered this myself and thought about it a bit.
My conclusions were:
1.a. People like to decorate their phones as they see fit (proper armor would make cases that much larger)
1.b. The ability to decorate a phone using after market cases is important to the phone manufacturer since more people are likely to buy a phone if they can dress it up as they would like.
2. Aftermarket products have varying levels of protection, the consumer can choose what suits them (a woman with her phone in her purse all of
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What chemical lab uses flexible glass? Corning Glass and Pyrex are no longer owned by this company.
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Unless they are clumsy, like me. A typical drop for me of something I am holding usually includes a tumble down a flight or two of stairs, sometimes even going off the side of the stairs onto a lower flight, causing falls of distances that are sometimes over 10 feet. Onto tile. Or concrete. Fortunately, I have a very hearty case that has protected my phone well. I had an Otter case for my old phone for many years, and decided to upgrade earlier this year because my provider offered me a good deal fo
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(see what I did there?)
You made a Corning pun?
The problem is metal phones (Score:5, Insightful)
The main problem is that too much phone manufacturers pandered to those who value form over function by making phones in heavy metal. These phones are denser and have more chances to break when they reach the ground. Plastic can bend and absorbs some shock. Metal will transmit the shock to the display and other components. Plastic phones are much better, but some reviewers decided they "felt cheap" (whatever that means).
A lite plastic phone with gorilla glass has high survivability to drops. Just don't make it in metal.
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When you put a case on it, it's better if the phone is as light as possible so again plastic is better when you have a case. Since it's also better when you don't, phones should never be made of metal.
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phones should never be made of metal
And yet the most durable phones on the market are. Stay away from overly broad generalisations and stick to specifics like ultra thin large phones with large crackable surfaces, with no buffer and no bezel protecting shattering components should never be made of metal if durability is your number one concern. It makes much more sense.
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phones should never be made of metal
And yet the most durable phones on the market are.
Most high end phones are. I expect a $1000 phone to be more durable than a cheap $100 one.
Yet, the $1000 phone would be even more durable if it was not made in metal.
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According to an article I read yesterday, when the Nokia (Non-Microsoft) phones come out in 6 months or so they will be based on polycarbonate frames.
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Yeah of course plastic phones still exist. There is still a trend in the high end phone market to switch to metal for no good reason.
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I thought about this too but for this to be really effective, the phone body should contact the hot parts (like the SoC). I've never seen such a design.
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Sapphire (Score:1)
How does this compare to sapphire crystal? If unfavorably, why are we still talking about it?
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It compares favorably in terms of cost.
Re:Sapphire (Score:4, Insightful)
Synthetic Sapphire (Corundum) crystal is very hard and scratch resistant, but also very brittle. I would expect it to be inferior to Corning's solution unless it was much thicker.
This is glue. Strong stuff. (Score:1)
And for the 20%+ of the time that it breaks, there's Gorilla Glue