Corning says next Gorilla Glass will be extra drop resistant

Your next smartphone could be a little less likely to break when you drop it.

Corning, makers of the Gorilla Glass used in many smartphone displays, introduced the next generation of the material Wednesday at an event at its Palo Alto, California, facility. Gorilla Glass 5, the company says, is more likely to survive drops from higher heights than previous generations.

To make Gorilla Glass 5 more drop resistant, the company tested it with higher drops during its development, explained Corning's VP and general manager, John Bayne. While previous generations were primarily tested for drops from pocket height or lower, Gorilla Glass 5 was tested at 1.6 meters, closer to "shoulder height." At that height, Gorilla Glass 5 survived drops at rates "up to 80%."

Of course, there are a few caveats. Corning is quick to point out that much depends on how manufacturers design their devices and the thickness of the glass they end up using.

The company declined to talk about which manufacturers may use the new glass in upcoming smartphones, but VP of Technology Jaymin Amin promised there would be devices on the market using Gorilla Glass 5 later this year. Samsung, Lenovo, Motorola, Asus and LG are all among those who use Gorilla Glass in their displays. Apple used the glass in previous iPhones but reports say the company switched with the iPhone 6S, though neither Corning or Apple will confirm.

The executives also teased future updates about Project Phire, a new material the company says will combine the properties of both Gorilla Glass and sapphire. Bayne declined to give specifics but said the company was "active in the wearable space" and that the material makes more sense on smaller wearable devices in the short term, though they would eventually look to bring it to handsets.

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