Corning has developed a brand new type of Gorilla Glass, designed with wearables in mind.
Called Gorilla Glass SR+, Corning’s latest product is built to increase the scratch resistance of smartwatches, fitness trackers, and other wearables.
Corning’s long term goal is to eventually become the standard for wearables in the same way Gorilla Glass has already become synonymous with covering tablets and smartphones.
In order to make this goal come to fruition, the company will have to be able to prove Gorilla Glass is a better option for protecting wearables than sapphire crystal.
While sapphire crystal is tedious and tough to make, Apple currently uses it on its high-end Apple Watch models as it is proven to be more durable than glass.
Gorilla Glass SR+’s scratch resistance is “approaching that of alternative luxury cover materials,” meaning its attempting to overtake the endearing qualities of sapphire crystal.
Corning also notes Gorilla Glass SR+ has “70 percent better damage resistance against impacts and 25 percent better surface reflection” than that same “luxury cover material.”
At the end of the day, if Corning can prove its Gorilla Glass SR+ has better scratch resistance than regular glass but better crack resistance than sapphire crystal, it should become a major player in the wearables industry.
