Gorilla Glass Victus could protect phones from 6-foot drops
Samsung will be the first manufacturer to release a phone with Victus
The name Gorilla Glass probably sounds familiar. That’s because Corning’s signature gadget glass is found in top-notch smartphones and tablets from manufacturers like Samsung and Apple.
It is designed to keep devices safe from drops, cracks, and scratches thanks to its ultra-tough design. On Thursday, Corning unveiled the latest iteration in the form of Gorilla Glass Victus. Not only can the new glass resist a six-foot drop, it also features the first meaningful improvement to scratch-resistance in six years.
Ready to Protect
Gorilla Glass is widely respected as the best display material in the world. It offers superior durability and protection for devices of all shapes and sizes.
Though it might be hard to believe, Gorilla Glass hasn’t gotten much better at shrugging off scratches from things like keys and coins since 2014’s Gorilla Glass 3. In fact, its scratch protection may have been a bit worse since Corning has focused on drop protection in recent years. Per The Verge, Gorilla Glass 4 performed worse in some scratch tests while versions five and six didn’t show any improvement over Gorilla Glass 3.
Now, though, Corning claims that its new Victus glass offers improved protection against drops and scratches simultaneously. It offers double the scratch resistance of Gorilla Glass 6 and four times the resistance of glass from competitors. That durability helped a dummy phone clad in Gorilla Glass Victus survive a two-meter (6.5-foot) drop.
To put that in perspective, it is 1.25 feet higher than the drop-rating of Gorilla Glass 6, which can survive from 5.25 feet. Theoretically, this means phones can now survive a drop from head height rather than shoulder height. It’s a big difference that could save a phone from shattering.
Meanwhile, Corning claims that the repeated drop resistance of Gorilla Glass Victus is also improved. It is able to survive 20 one-meter drops on average. That’s five more drops than the 15 that Gorilla Glass 6 is able to withstand.
As we all know, drop and scratch resistance can vary dramatically based on how your device is dropped or scratched. Lead Gorilla Glass scientist Jaymin Amin notes that the latest version isn’t totally pocket-proof.
Things like dirt, sand, and metal could still cause a scratch when wedged against something like a coin or key. He says, “I think those caveats would still apply on any glass material, but what this [Victus] does for you is reduce those instances quite dramatically.”
When Will Victus Arrive?
The arrival of Gorilla Glass Victus in the real world appears to be right around the corner. Samsung will be the first manufacturer to introduce a device featuring Victus. It is going to arrive “in the next few months.”
That leaves the door open for plenty of possibilities. It also means that the Galaxy Note 20, which is likely to be revealed at a virtual event next month, probably won’t feature the new glass. Instead, the successor of the Galaxy S20 could be the lucky candidate.
Meanwhile, several other manufacturers are working to integrate Victus with their flagship phones. Considering that Gorilla Glass is essentially the industry standard for such devices, Victus should appear in plenty of phones and tablets in the years ahead.
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Originally published at https://www.theburnin.com on July 23, 2020.
