In lab testing, Corning said Victus 2 survived drops of up to one meter on a surface replicating concrete. Competing aluminosilicate glasses from other manufacturers typically failed when dropped from half a meter or less, Corning noted. Victus 2 is also said to have survived drops up to two meters on a smoother surface replicating asphalt. Cover glass is not as big of a selling point for mobile devices as it once was but it is still an important part of the overall package. Corning cited research showing that across the three largest smartphone markets (the US, China and India), durability was the top purchasing consideration for 84 percent of consumers and second only to brand selection.
Today’s smartphones are nearly 15 percent heavier than devices that shipped just four years ago, increasing the probability of damage occurring from drops. Screens are also about 10 percent larger on average. More screen real estate means more surface area to get scratched. Corning is almost certainly the world’s largest producer of mobile cover glass. The chemically strengthened glass was originally developed in the 1960s but did not find a solid commercial use until the mid-2000s when Apple used it on the first iPhone. Gorilla Glass has been utilizes on over 8 billion devices by more than 45 major brands. Gorilla Glass Victus 2 is already being sampled by multiple customers. The first products featuring the new cover glass are expected to reach the market in the next few months. With CES 2023 a little over a month away and Mobile World Congress lined up for late February, you can bet we will see Corning’s latest on display in the not too distant future.
