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%." Read more...