Corning's Latest Gorilla Glass 5 To Protect Future Mobile Devices Better From Accidental Drops

Corning Incorporated Wednesday unveiled the latest version of its Gorilla Glass product, dubbed the "Gorilla Glass 5," which is expected to protect future mobile devices from accidental drops. The company also claimed that the new flagship cover glass can survive drops onto rough surfaces up to four times better than other rival products.

During the testing phase, Gorilla Glass 5 survived up to 80 percent of the time when dropped face-down from over five feet onto bumpy surfaces. According to the company, the newly-launched cover glass will allow manufacturers to offer "the ultimate in high-resolution, touch-enabled devices."

Corning said that it recently conducted a global survey, which revealed that more than 85 percent of smartphone owners have dropped their phones at least once a year, while 55 percent have dropped their phones three times or more. In addition, more than 60 percent of smartphone owners said they have dropped their devices between shoulder and waist height.

"With many real-world drops occurring from between waist and shoulder height, we knew improving drop performance would be an important and necessary advancement," John Bayne, vice president and general manager, Corning Gorilla Glass, said in a statement.

According to the company, the new Gorilla Glass 5 is now commercially available, and is expected to be incorporated on future products from leading global brands later this year. Corning's Gorilla Glass has been used on more than 4.5 billion devices worldwide, including more than 1,800 product models across 40 major brands, the company said.

While Corning didn't name any particular brand that may use Gorilla Glass 5 on its future products, the new cover glass is expected to be featured in either the iPhone 7 in 2016 or the iPhone 8 in 2017. Apple also has been using Corning's Gorilla Glass for its iPad and iPhone lineup for years, MacRumors reported.