If you may or may not remember, Corning announced the “Project Phire”, back in 2015.
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Corning, best known for the Gorilla Glass used by most major smartphone manufacturers, has unveiled the new Gorilla Glass SR+. The ones that feature a sizable display head will most likely be incorporated with Gorilla Glass SR+.
In lab tests, Gorilla Glass SR+ demonstrated scratch resistance approaching that of alternative luxury cover materials, while delivering up to 70% better damage resistance against impacts and 25% better surface reflection than those alternative materials, said Corning.
“To overcome the challenges facing the screens on these devices (wearables), Corning scientists developed a new glass composite engineered to better endure the bumps, knocks and scrapes wearables encounter while maintaining the optical clarity and touch sensitivity required for on-the-go connectivity”. It also promises better optical performance and outdoor readability.
But this new display glass, called Gorilla Glass SR+, won’t be coming to Gorilla’s stronghold in phones: It’s coming to smartwatches. The company is also said to be in talk with traditional watchmakers for using this glass in their products.
“Corning Gorilla Glass SR+ delivers a superior combination of properties that is not available in any other material today – it is in a class of its own”, Corning’s Innovation Products Director Scott Forester was quoted as saying in the release.
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It is unclear if Corning’s Gorilla Glass SR+ will find its way to future Apple Watches, but given that Apple already relies on Ion-X glass for the Sport model and sapphire, we’re not sure that will be changing anytime soon. Corning has reported that the protective glass will be available starting later this year, so it’s definitely a possibility.
