Mobile phones are full of features and increasingly varied technical characteristics. One of those specifications, which is increasingly present in a mobile that is launched on the market, is Gorilla Glass protection. One of those features that are already part of the features of practically all terminals, something that we never overlook on our site. In addition, we are facing an important element to guarantee greater resistance. But what exactly is it? And, above all, how is it made?
It is even important to know where it comes from and how it ends up on smartphones. And it is that, apart from the protectors and covers that we can put on a device after brand new mobile, manufacturers also do part of this work for us by protecting the phone against bumps and scratches.
Remember that a simple fall can be fatal. For this reason, if we leave aside the classic and necessary screen glass, it occurred to some privileged mind that it would be a good idea to create the backs of our mobile phones out of glass. So it is more than likely that they will break at the slightest blow of consideration. Although luckily for us, this protection will be of great help to us, more than we can even think. In addition, over the years there have been several generations, in which different changes have been introduced, causing an important evolution that has made this protection better and better.
How Gorilla Glass protection works
This is where Gorilla Glass comes in, a protection sheet that can go on the front and back of our mobile , and that has been implemented by different manufacturers for a few years, specifically, it was from 2007 when it was introduced by first time on a phone. Although, the history of this shock and scratch resistant sheet, which is manufactured by Corning Inc, goes back a long time.
Basically, because it began to be developed in 2005, although as we were saying, its official launch began in 2006 and 2007, greatly increasing its popularity as of 2020. This increase in popularity was in response to the smartphone industry when trying to cover the need to protect the screens of smartphones that were getting bigger. This made the protection available on mobile phones, but also on other products such as tablets or laptops.
Therefore, the operation or what this protection is responsible for is based on making phones with Corning Gorilla Glass less susceptible to scratches and breakage . However, we must be clear that this technology does not make a smartphone unbreakable in itself. Although, what is clear will help us increase the durability of the screen of any smartphone during long periods of use, it can even protect it from accidental falls.
Although if we put aside the fact that Gorilla Glass technology allows phones to be much more resistant, it has been shown that the use of this glass allows a design and finish of high aesthetic value to be achieved. In addition, it can optimize the wireless charging function , which is present in high-end mobile phones. It is even beneficial for 5G connections on mobiles that have a metallic finish. This is mainly due to the increase that this technology will entail in the number of channels and frequencies that will require greater performance from the antennas.
All about its manufacture
Gorilla Glass protection sheets are made of a glass made from aluminosilicate , which is a mineral composed of aluminum oxide and silicon dioxide, two materials that are naturally present in abundance in nature. By using feldspars as raw material, a special composition of an artificial glass is achieved, which is light, thin and resistant to damage and scratches, which can have an approximate thickness of 0.4mm. This material must be heated to high temperatures (above 400 degrees) in a mold, and then extracted and cooled, giving the shape that the protective sheet will finally have.
It is a material that has been designed in such a way to be as light as possible and thin , with a thickness of just 0.4 mm. But, this does not mean that it has a great capacity to resist damage and scratches. For its manufacture, it must be heated to high temperatures as we had previously explained.
However, it is true that it was not the first glass of this type to appear on the market, since there were already other companies and brands that were also working in this segment. In addition, with the arrival of smartphones, Corning’s reception was increasing, making it the most used option by manufacturers. Although it is true that there are others like Dragontrail , which also have a presence on many phones.
Gorilla Glass Versions
As we were saying, the evolution of this protection is a fact that we see reflected in the different Android or iPhone devices that have been launched on the mobile market. Well, the fact that a manufacturer has managed to ‘make’ the smartphone more resistant to shocks, falls, etc. is being exhibited more and more. But, for the most part, this would not be possible without the great advance of this technology. For this reason, it is time to see each of the versions of Gorilla Glass .
Gorilla Glass 1
The first Corning protective glasses appeared between 2005 and 2006, beginning their great success when they were included in the first Apple iPhone. This just happened after the presentation of the first iOS phone in 2007, when the device was presented with a 1.5 mm thick Gorilla Glass technology accompanied by an oleophobic coating, capable of repelling fats, which minimized marks of fingerprints and smudges on the panel.
Although, it was not the only device that could enjoy this first version or type of Corning technology . Well, there were many more lucky ones who could have this protection among their specifications. What is clear is that, as a result of being present on an Apple phone, it began to take off in terms of the number of followers.
Gorilla Glass 2
Five years passed for Corning to launch a second version of its protection for smartphones. Specifically, it was in 2012, when we could see a clear evolution of the protective sheet, since it managed to reduce its thickness by 20%, reaching 1.2 millimeters , being somewhat less than the previous version that was launched in 2007.
In addition, they increased the resistance with pressures of up to 50 kg without breaking or. A curious fact is that it was installed in more than 600 million mobiles , helping manufacturers to develop much lighter and thinner models, without neglecting the great fact of continuing to search for them to be resistant to scratches and bumps.
Gorilla Glass 3 and 3+
In the next version, the resistance to bumps and scratches increased by 35%. In addition, it integrated NDR (Native Damage Resistance) technology. The next version was in 2013, just a year after they began to distribute the second version of their technology. This new technology brought with it a significant increase in resistance to bumps and scratches.
Although, years later, to be exact in 2019, something curious happened. And it is that the company in charge of manufacturing this protection decided to launch a new version renamed Gorilla Glass 3+ . This generation was designed to improve drop protection for low-mid range smartphones. Providing great results, as it is capable of withstanding falls from 0.8 meters on hard and rough surfaces. So it becomes the most affordable option to protect the screen of cheaper terminals.
Gorilla Glass 4
Introduced in 2014, Gorilla Glass 4 increased its drop and drop resistance by two times compared to its predecessor. This was so because the company discovered, through one of its surveys, that 70% of damage to smartphone screens was due to falls. For this reason, they decided to start investing more in reinforcing their windows.
That is why, from this generation, the company’s protection technology also began to have a different focus. Specifically, they focused on making the mobile screen more resistant to falls. And the thing did not end there, but an improvement was also implemented in its anti-fingerprint repellent film .
Gorilla Glass 5
The fifth generation was released in 2016, although that has not prevented it from being widely used by different smartphone manufacturers over time. Well, despite the fact that new versions of this technology have been launched, it is one of the most used. And all because Gorilla Glass 5 managed to outlast its predecessor by up to four times, withstanding drops of up to 1.2 meters.
In addition, its thickness can vary from 0.4 to 1.3 millimeters . And not only this, but the manufacturer guaranteed that the technology of this version is capable of inhibiting up to 80% of falls on very rigid surfaces at heights of up to one meter. So it was quite a plus for the different brands of terminals to decide to implement this fifth generation in their devices.
Gorilla Glass 6
As in the previous generation, this version, which was launched in 2018, is one of the most present in high-end mobiles on the market. Especially, in those that began to be launched from that year, although it can also be found in 2021 smartphones. And, with this technology, its thickness was reduced once again. Although, that is not all, since its resistance doubled compared to Gorilla Glass 5 , withstanding falls of up to 1.6 meters in height.
And it is that no matter how much they managed to reduce its thickness once again , it managed to be twice as resistant as the previous version. So not only could it withstand falls of up to 1.6 meters as we mentioned, but in the tests carried out in the company it was found that it could withstand up to 15 falls in a row from a height of one meter.
Gorilla Glass Victus
During 2020, the latest version of the company, Gorilla Glass Victus, or also known as Gorilla Glass 7, was presented. It was released on the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, with a thickness of only 0.4 millimeters. Although, its thickness can vary up to 1.2 mm. According to the company of this technology, they have managed to develop one of the most resistant generations to date, both for falls and scratches.
The most striking thing is that, in the laboratory tests that have been carried out on this glass, it managed to overcome falls on hard and rough surfaces up to 2 meters high. So we would be talking about an increase of up to four times its resistance compared to the previous generation. A great advance to be able to continue protecting smartphones.