We're excited for several upcoming phones, but what will they be made of? We now have our answer.
Corning has announced its new version of Gorilla Glass, Gorilla Glass 6. It claims this glass is durable enough that a phone equipped with it will be able to survive 15 one-meter drops.
"Corning Gorilla Glass 6 improves upon Gorilla(R) Glass 5 by surviving drops from higher heights, but, more importantly, has been engineered to survive multiple drops," said Corning Gorilla Glass VP and General Manager John Bayne in a statement.
MORE: We Dropped $18000 Worth of Phones, and These Are the Toughest
But not only is it sturdy: This product also transforms. At a press event in Sunnyvale, Calif., the company demonstrated that its glass can be manufactured in a number of designs that make the glass feel less like, well, glass.You'll be able to make your glass look like wood, marble, or other faux surfaces. Not only will your phone look like it's made of the new material, but it'll feel like that too.
In addition to traditional designs, Gorilla Glass 6 phones can come in reflective colors, and Corning is also working on a translucent glass that shows you the phone's insides as well.
The combination of sturdiness and design means you may not even, gasp, need a case on your next phone.
Gorilla Glass 6 is in production and available for companies to purchase now. The first phones with the material will hit the market later this year.
Corning did not confirm at the event which upcoming phones will use Gorilla Glass 6. But it's a safe bet that many will. Over 50 phones currently incorporate Gorilla Glass, including Samsung's Galaxy S9, the OnePlus 6 and Google's Pixel 2. While Apple is always secretive about its materials, several of its phones, including the iPhone X, have all-glass backs, and it likely uses Gorilla Glass 5.
Expect new details to emerge as we get our hands on upcoming phones.
